Journey's End in lovers meeting
by bannonluke
Summary: A voice reaches out to The Doctor. Donna Noble is in danger, and only he can help her. Set after Journey's End.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Journey's end in lovers meeting

**Part 1/?**

**Author: **adroidmortox247 aka bannonluke

**Characters: **The Doctor, Donna and others.

**Genre: **General

**Summary: **A voice reaches out to The Doctor. Donna Noble is in danger, and only he can help her.

**Spoilers: **post Journey's End

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's.

**Rating: **PG due to swearing

It has been said that life is made up of a series of journeys- that as one adventure ends, another is just around the corner. The Doctor knew that better than anybody. It seemed that he was always bouncing from one strange encounter to the next, rarely stopping, always moving onwards.

And yet…this time he couldn't just move on. He tried to block it out, but he couldn't shake the feeling that things should have ended differently for him and Donna. Her cries, her protests still echoed in his mind. And not even his recent encounter with the Cybermen did much to snap him out of it.

He was currently stopping to refuel in Cardiff. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't help asking them how things were.

"She's fine." Jack said. " Moving up in the world. New job, her own place. And most importantly, she's happy."

"Good." The Doctor said."And we're still keeping an eye on her, making sure nothing sets her off. So's Sarah Jane."

The Doctor smiled gratefully. But Jack could tell he was uneasy. He put a friendly hand on The Doctor's shoulder.

"You did the right thing." He said firmly.

But Jack's words felt hollow. As soon as he was back inside the TARDIS, the thoughts started again. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to drive the voice away. _You had no choice. _He told himself. That seemed to do the trick. _You ha…_

But then Donna's face flashed before him. Pain covered every part of her face. Some from the physical ache caused by the metacrisis. But mostly pain as she realised what he was about to do to her.

_**Don't make me go back! Doctor, NO!**_

"There wasn't time!" He suddenly yelled defensively. He opened his eyes. Nothing was there.

_Why was this happening? _He wondered. Granted, it wasn't the first time The Doctor had a guilty conscience. Hell, he had more guilt than a convention of Catholics. But this felt different. Not the usual mixture of regret with a side order of self-loathing. It was as if…something was reaching out to his mind.

_**Ten out of ten for observation, spaceman!**_ A familiar female voice said irritably.

The Doctor turned to the source of the voice. Before him he saw a very faint looking figure. While the details were sketchy, there was no mistaking who it was.

_Donna? _He thought bewilderedly.

_**Not exactly. **_The figure said as though it could hear him.

The Doctor was startled. He was about to voice his surprise when the figure cut him off.

_**Oh, spare me the 'What' routine. Do you know how old that is? **_

The figure then casually brushed its hair back. The Doctor began to speak, but then the figure interrupted him.

_**Oh, and to answer your next three questions: I'm not a hologram, I'm a psychic projection and yes, I can read your mind.**_

The Doctor raised a hand cautiously. It would be nice if he could actually say something aloud in this conversation. The spirit gestured for him to hurry up and talk.

"DoctorDonna?" He asked cautiously.

_**No, I'm the bloody Queen of Sheba! **_the spectre said candidly. _**Lord, you'd think after a thousand years you'd twig on to things a bit quicker.**_

"Hey!" The Doctor called, "I'm 903."

_**Yeah, using a certain calendar. **_DoctorDonna remarked. _**Remember- I've got all your brain. **_A teasing look then appeared on her face. _**ALL of your brain.**_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

_**Don't think I don't know what went through your mind when you saw Donna in that dress. Pervert.**_

The Doctor couldn't help but blush slightly at that. But then his expression turned serious. If DoctorDonna was appearing before him, that could only mean…

_**Donna's in trouble. **_The figure said. _**Course, she doesn't know it. I would help her myself, except for the whole 'killing her if I get out' thing. **_

"So how are you here now?" The Doctor asked.

_**When she's asleep I can sneak out. **_DoctorDonna explained. _**She dreams about you, but never remembers the details. Anyway, she'll be visiting her mum and Wilf tomorrow. You'll see for yourself**_

"What exactly is wrong?" The Doctor asked. "Why can't you just tell me?!"

_**Do you WANT her head to explode? **_DoctorDonna sniped. _**I can't say anything more.**_

"Oh." The Doctor said apologetically. "Right."

_**Trust me- I hate the cryptic message stuff as much as you do. **_DoctorDonna replied.

_**But, that's not the only reason I'm contacting you.**_

The Doctor was about to ask what she meant. Then he realised. Hope gleamed in his eyes.

"You know how to save her." He commented.

To his shock, DoctorDonna shook her head.

_**No. YOU know how to save her. **_

"I thought you hated being cryptic." The Doctor said bitingly. He was starting to know how his companions felt at times.

DoctorDonna was about to respond, but then she flickered slightly. She rolled her eyes.

_**Oh great. **_She moaned. _**She's waking up.**_

Panic flashed on The Doctor's face."Quick, tell me what it is!"

DoctorDonna's body language became more urgent as she slowly faded away.

"_**You said you didn't have time, well you do now! You have time!" **_DoctorDonna hollered, _**"Just think about it! You can still save her! You hear me?"**_

DoctorDonna then vanished, but her last words echoed in the TARDIS.

_**You can still save her.**_

The Doctor didn't contemplate what she meant by it. He'd worry about that later. In the meantime, he had to check up on Donna. He frantically set the co-ordinates on the TARDIS.

He was glad that it was Wilf who answered the door. He'd at least listen to him.

"Doctor!" Wilf exclaimed in surprise. "Hello Wilf." Doctor said. "How are things? Everything OK?"

Wilf looked over his shoulder. Thankfully no-one was there.

"Yeah." He said. "Donna's brought her new boyfriend round. I tell you Doctor, he's done wonders for her. There's some days she's like her old self again."

The Doctor couldn't help feel bewildered. Nothing odd about that. Then again, DoctorDonna seemed anxious. Maybe he got the dates wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

But before he could say anymore, Donna suddenly came into view.

"Who is it gramps?" She began, before catching The Doctor's eye.

"Oh, John." She said politely. "It's been a while."

"Yeah." The Doctor said hurriedly. "Been busy. With… space…stuff."

Donna shot him a weary look, but didn't say anything.

"Well, why don't you come in?" She offered.

The Doctor was hesitant, but agreed. _Better check just to make sure nothing's wrong._

"Thanks." He said as he entered the hallway.

"Oh not at all." Donna said. "Mum and Harry are just in the living room."

"Harry?" The Doctor asked, as he closed the door behind him."The boyfriend." Wilf said."Gramps, he's not my boyfriend." Donna said. She then smirked. "Not officially."

Peels of laughter filled the air.

"Well," Wilf joked, "If you don't want him, your mum might, by the sounds of it."

"Oh, stop it." Donna said chidingly.

The Doctor felt a shiver come over him. He recognised that laugh.

_Oh sweet Rassilon, no._

"Anyway," Donna said facing The Doctor again, "Harry's into science and all that. I bet you'll get on really well."

_I doubt that._ The Doctor thought to himself. He hoped his suspicions were wrong.

Donna then swung the door to the living room open. Sylvia and a man looked up.

The Doctor was frozen. Part of him hoped this was some vivid nightmare, a hallucination. But no. There was no mistaking who it was. He now understood what DoctorDonna meant. Donna truly was in trouble.

Perched there on the Nobles' sofa, a smug expression plastered on his face, mug of tea in hand… was The Master.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Journey's end in lovers meeting

**Part** 2/?

**Author: **adroidmortox247

**Characters: **The Doctor, Donna and others

**Genre: **General

**Summary: **A reunion with an old friend and an older enemy leads to more questions

**Spoilers: **post Journey's End

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's.

**Rating: **PG due to swearing

The two Timelords exchanged a brief glance, before they both put on their best fake smiles. Unknown to The Doctor, Sylvia's facial expression darkened upon seeing him.

"Ah, you must be Wilf's friend." The Master said as he got up to shake his hand.

"Yeah," The Doctor replied in a friendly manner, as he took the hand, making sure to squeeze it a little hard. "So… you're Harry…"

"Jones." The Master said, the grin on his face not faltering.

"Right." The Doctor muttered. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The Master said. He then accidentally on purpose spilled some scalding hot tea on The Doctor.

"Oh, sorry." The Master said, feigning concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The Doctor lied, as he removed his jacket. "See, no harm done."

The Master could barely contain his disappointment. But before this could escalate, Wilf and Donna had entered the room. Wilf sat down on the sofa opposite Sylvia.

"Alright darling?" The Master said as he approached Donna and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Oh, stop it." Donna said teasingly.

"Oh, I can't help it." The Master teased in return.

It took every ounce of restraint The Doctor had not to vomit at seeing The Master behaving like a lovesick schoolboy. And the worst part was, Donna seemed to be taken in by it.

An unlikely rescuer came in the form of Sylvia, who cleared her throat loudly. Sheepishly, The Master returned to his seat beside her. The Doctor sat on the adjacent sofa, but left a space in between he and Wilf for Donna to sit. He grinned slightly as Donna plopped down beside him.

For a moment an uncomfortable silence filled the air. The Doctor then turned to face Donna, making sure he was entirely in her line of sight.

"So Donna," He began, "Been a while since I've seen you. How've you been?"

"Alright thanks." Donna said, "Been busy with… work stuff." She added jokingly.

"Ok, I walked into that." The Doctor replied. "I'd like to say more but…"

Donna waved dismissively.

"It's alright." She said. "I hear enough techno babble at work to last me a life time."

"It's not techno babble!" The Master suddenly said, not missing an opportunity to cut in. "It's the…"

"The way of the future." Donna interrupted. "I do know the slogan Harry. Remember, it's on your letterhead?"

_O…k. _The Doctor thought.

"So… you work together?" He said gesturing between the two.

Donna nodded. "I'm Harry's PA."

"Oh, you're more than that." The Master said, making a cutesy-pie face. "I'd be lost without you. You're my knight in shining armour."

"Oh, he's a charmer, isn't he?" Sylvia chuckled.

"The truth is never flattering, Sylvia." The Master said. "And on that note, this tea… superb."

The Doctor was bewildered. He could forgive Donna falling for The Master. After all, that's what Lance did. Simply took the time to talk to Donna, treat her as something more than a peon, a temp, and she fell for it hook, line and sinker.

But Sylvia? The woman who kept an axe in her front-porch? Who gave him the tenth degree every time he came around? He thought surely she'd be suspicious.

Of course, this was just one of the thousands of questions going through his mind at the moment. How was The Master alive? Why didn't he sense him? What exactly did he want with Donna and… where DID Sylvia get these teabags from?

But the question he chose to ask, was none of these. He turned towards Donna.

"Where exactly is it that you work?" He asked aloud.

"The Mr. Copper Foundation." Donna said.

'The Mr. Copper Foundation?" The Doctor parroted. "What do they do?"

But before Donna could continue, The Master interjected.

"Oh, trust me John, you don't wanna hear about all that." He said in a friendly tone. "Anyway, who wants to talk about work? It's the weekend, a time to relax and veg out."

He then turned to Sylvia."Am I right?" He asked.

Sylvia nodded.

But The Master's attempt to change the subject didn't deter The Doctor. If anything it made him more curious.

"Oh, I dunno Harry." He said. "I think I would like to hear. I mean, it sounds...interesting. Besides, Donna doesn't mind me asking."

He then looked at her."Do you mind?"

Donna shook her head.

"Nah, not really."

"See?" The Doctor said. He had to resist the urge to grin smugly at The Master. Instead he focussed on Donna.

"So... what do they do then?"

"Well it's all... a bit techy." Donna explained, "Scientific research, that guff. Can't get my head round it."

"Well, we can't all be scientists." The Master kidded, "else I'd be out of a job."

A thought crossed Donna's mind.

"Hey Harry, speaking of jobs aren't there some going?" She asked.

The Master froze slightly. He was glad he hadn't taken another sip from his tea, as he would have undoubtedly spat it out at that moment.

"Erm...maybe. Not sure"

She then turned to The Doctor, "You should look into it."

A grin formed on The Doctor's face, as he noticed The Master's eyes widen slightly.

"You know," He said, "I just might."

The Master pretended to look at his watch.

"Oh, drat." He said. "I have to go."

"Yeah," The Doctor said as he gazed at the clock. "Me too. Places to go, people to see…"

"Space stuff to do." Donna teased.

"Exactly."

The Doctor rushed back towards the TARDIS. He'd had to park it a distance away, on the off-chance Donna heard it. Not that he minded the walk. Gave him time to think through the situation.

Eventually, he decided the best course of action would be to read up on the Mr. Copper foundation. Find out what exactly 'Harry Jones' was working on. Maybe see if it was something 'John Smith' might be qualified for.

As the door to the TARDIS swung open, the ringing of the telephone filled the air. The Doctor tensed. There was only one person he could think of who could be calling him. He rushed to the console and picked up the phone.

"Don't worry, I'll send you the dry-cleaning bill." He said happily.

"Cut the bullshit, Doctor!" The Master rasped as he walked towards his car. The driver obediently opened the door as he climbed inside. iAlways important to make an impression. No point having power if you can't flaunt it./i

"Alright then." The Doctor said. "You want me to cut to the chase, I will. Stop what you're doing now."

The Master scoffed. "You're not very good at threats Doctor."

"Oh, it's not a threat." The Doctor said. "More of a friendly reminder."

"Then here's one in return." The Master responded. "Remember, one wrong word, and your little friend dies. One tiny word. Like Dalek. Or TARDIS. Or…"

"Master," The Doctor interrupted. "I'm not an idiot. Far from it. Obviously you need Donna alive."

The Master gritted his teeth. He hated it when The Doctor had a point.

"For the moment." He said aloud.

"Figured." The Doctor replied. "Obviously she's important for whatever it is you're planning. By the way…"

"As if I'd tell you!" The Master sniped. "Next thing you'd be asking me how I'm alive again."

"Oh, connected are they?" The Doctor teased.

The uneasy silence on the other end told him he was right. But how…

The Master cursed himself.

"Stay away Doctor!" He threatened.

"Oh, The Doctor IS staying away." The Doctor said firmly. "I'm just Wilf's chum John Smith. Who just wants to spend a bit of time with his pal's granddaughter. John Smith doesn't go out of his way to find trouble."

"Good." The Master barked. He then covered the phone, and yelled at his driver. "Just run the light you moron!"

"Oh Harry," The Doctor teased, "What would Donna say?"

"Like I really care about that gobby bitch." The Master said snidely, "Honestly Doctor, I think your standards have fallen BIG time. Wh-"

"SHUT UP!" The Doctor yelled. "Don't you DARE say anything about her!"

The Master pulled back, stunned at the strength of The Doctor's reaction.

Truthfully, The Doctor himself was slightly surprised. But he decided to use his anger to his advantage.

"As I was saying," He said coolly, "John Smith won't go out of his way to find trouble. But if he does, he will make you pay for it. Oh and Master? If you ever call my friend a bitch again, heck, if you even so much as LOOK at her the wrong way, you'll wish you were still dead."

Before The Master could reply, The Doctor hung up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Journey's end in lovers meeting  
**Part** 3/?  
**Author:** adroidmortox247 aka bannonluke  
**Characters:** The Doctor, Donna and others  
**Genre:** General  
**Summary:** Donna looks for answers  
**Spoilers: **post Journey's End  
**Disclaimer:** None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's.  
**Authors note:** Thanks again to all who helped me.  
**Rating: **PG due to swearing

Donna looked towards the door. Now, she may have missed out on a lot of things. Things that seemed to be common knowledge, or obvious to other people. Particularly since the 'illness'. (Neither mum or Granddad would elaborate further.) But there was no way of ignoring the fact something…odd just happened.  
But before she could voice this, Sylvia spoke up.

"Donna, mind clearing these mugs away?"

Likewise, Donna knew that was code for _leave us alone_.  
As she got up, Wilf shot her an apologetic look. But Donna ignored him. It was bad enough all this secrecy, but it really hurt coming from Gramps. They used to be so close, she felt she could tell him anything. Oh sure, he'd swear that nothing had changed, he'd pretend to listen, but Donna couldn't shake the feeling he was keeping something from her.

But what? The last time she'd seen John was… not long after 'she woke up.' And then he shows up now, asking her questions about her work-life. But not only that. She could have sworn, despite all their pretences, Harry and John recognised each other. But how?

So while Sylvia and Wilf had what sounded like a heated, but hushed conversation, Donna decided to get some answers. She reached for the phone.

The Master was still shaken from The Doctor's outburst. It had the unfortunate side effect of aggravating the drums. Granted, he'd always been fond of his precious companions, but this seemed… different. _Probably guilt. He likes a good guilt trip. _  
He was jostled out of these thoughts by his mobile. He was scared for a moment The Doctor had decided to give him another earful. But no, it was just Donna. Dull, dismal, ditzy Donna.  
_Well, this traffic isn't going anywhere. Might as well kill some time._  
"Hi honey!" He said sweetly.

"Don't honey me, pal!" Donna said irritably, as she made her way up the stairs. Always best to rant in the privacy of one's bedroom (well, old bedroom.) .

The Master winched slightly. _What is this, pick on the renegade Timelord day?_ Granted, he'd known Donna could be…blunt, but thankfully he'd managed to avoid her wrath thus far.

"Is something wrong?" He asked hesitantly.

"Oh nothing," Donna began bitingly, "Except for the fact my supposed boyfriend just ran out of my mother's house quicker than an Olympic sprinter!"

Donna then sat down on the bed.

"Now Harry, I didn't need fancy lab equipment to detect the tension between you and John. So what's the story?"

The Master was caught by surprise. True, Donna did kind of have a habit of noticing details. And maybe on retrospect the panic and run wasn't the best coping mechanism.  
He was tempted to just hang up, but that wouldn't suit his plan. It was bad enough that The Doctor was onto him without making Donna suspicious as well.

"I'm waiting." Donna threatened.

The Master paused. He didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing, so he picked his next words carefully.

"I've known John for years." He said honestly.

"Is that all?"

The Master sighed. "No, of course it's not."

He hesitated.

"But…" Donna trailed off.

"But, I'm not sure if I can tell you anymore."

Donna was surprised by Harry's tone. He sounded… upset. Perhaps she had been a bit hard on him.

"I'm sorry Harry." She said soothingly, as she lay back on the bed. "It's just… sometimes I feel the entire world's trying to keep me in the dark. And… it's driving me mad."

"I can imagine." The Master said.

She sighed.

"I don't want your whole life story, you can just give me the gist. That alright?"

The Master felt calmed to hear that.

"Yeah."

"So… you and John."

"I've known him since we were kids. We grew up together. And we used to be close."

Donna's eyes widened at that. _That would explain the tension. It was like me with one of my ex.s  
_  
"Um… how close?" She asked hesitantly.

"Very close." The Master replied. "I'd say he was like a brother to me, but… it was more than that."

_Just my luck._ Donna thought to herself. She couldn't say it was a complete surprise- given her track record, the fact he liked the Scissor Sisters and had a truck load of male grooming products. She started to wonder what sort of grooming he had in mind…

She shook herself out of it.

"So what happened?"

"Oh, a difference of opinion." The Master said. "He felt one way, I felt the other."

Donna felt a bit relieved at hearing that.

"The sad thing is," The Master continued, "I can't seem to get rid of him. Everywhere I go, everything I do, I end up running into him again. He does nothing but make my life hell."

The Master paused. _This could be my chance…_

"He's dangerous Donna." He added, as he took out a pen. "Unstable. People around him tend to get hurt."

He stabbed the pen into his own leg. Surely enough, there were soon tears running down his face.

"I… I just wish he'd leave me alone." The Master sobbed, "And you too. I mean, if anyth-"

He then pulled the pen out, which was just as, if not more painful, causing him to cry more.

Donna was surprised to hear Harry cry.

"There there." She said soothingly. "It's alright Harry. I know how it is."

To say The Master was baffled at that comment would be an understatement.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Donna said sympathetically. "I was in a similar situation once. Filed a restraining order in the end."

The Master's puzzlement increased. "Eh?"

"Don't worry. If he comes round again, I'll sit him down and just tell him you don't feel that way about him."

The Master's jaw dropped open.

"No, no, you don't understand…"

But Donna interrupted.

"You don't need to explain Harry. Lots of people experiment when they're young."

The Master wasn't sure whether to argue the point further or not. But thankfully, Donna changed the subject.

"Well, enough about that. You fancy coming around tonight? No John, no mum, no gramps. Just you and me?"

The Master would admit that she did make it sound tempting. _But I can take care of the 'No John' part myself.  
_  
"Afraid I can't." He replied. "But I'm free tomorrow."

"See ya then." Donna hollered.

"Bye hon!" The Master said as he blew a kiss into the phone.

Eventually the driver parked in the garage.

"About bloody time!" The Master snapped.

"Sorry sir." The driver said disingenuously. "But I can't control the traffic can I?"

"I'm in no mood for excuses." The Master said, as he reached into his pocket. He produced a long, silver object.

"You're fired." He said jokingly, before he depressed the trigger.

The driver slumped against the wheel, dead. The Master then adjusted the setting on the laser screwdriver and fired again, disintegrating the body.

He grinned slightly, but then composed himself.

_No time for messing around. There's work to be done._

The Master climbed out of the car, and headed towards the main building.

Wilf gently rapped on Donna's door. She'd locked herself away for hours, and he was starting to worry about her.  
Donna ignored it. She was still mulling things over. Something didn't quite add up. She just wished she had a moment to think about it, instead of having granddad interrupting her train of thought.

"Sweetheart?"

"Not now, gramps!" She called. "I'm… busy."

"Anything I can help with?"

Donna scoffed at that. As if. But before she could come up with a snappy insult, she paused. _Well, John is his friend after all._

She opened the door.

"Can we talk?" She asked. "Somewhere mum won't hear us?"

Wilf grinned.

"Get your coat." He said. "I'll see ya up the hill."

The Doctor got to work on the TARDIS' computer. He first glanced at the Foundation's website. Nothing out of the ordinary- a bog standard mission statement, that tacky slogan plastered on every page, a little bit on some of the types of research. He clicked jobs. Seemed to be the usual sort, all relatively easy for him to fake the credentials for.

Which, judging by Harry Jones' rather ropey profile, is what The Maser had done. Most of it seemed to be double speak, or forgeries that would be obvious to someone in the know. For example it claimed he had he worked on the Flavia project, the Rassilion research council etc.  
But The Doctor knew that wasn't where the real story was. So he clicked on the member access page.

Concurrently, the Master was busy hacking into the website and his own work station. Well, he wasn't doing it directly, but there was a setting on the laser screwdriver he used to basically make the system do what he wanted. _And it'll never be traced back to me. _  
While he expected it may take a while for The Doctor to access the system, it never hurt to be cautious. Thankfully Donna kept back ups of all his work anyway. He would grudgingly admit if nothing else she was a good worker. Very good in fact.

Wilf was glad to be up at the hill again. He and Sylvia had a pretty bitter row over The Doctor's impromptu visit. Harsh words were said, by both of them.

_Why did you let… that alien in? Suppose he set her off?!  
Well, what do you want me to do darlin'? It's not like I know when he's coming!  
Then just tell him not to come round again! Or don't you care about your grand-daughter?_  
That had been the final straw for Wilf.  
_I care more about her than you do!_ He had said with uncharacteristic anger. _The fact 'that alien' had to tell you to treat your own bloody daughter nice says everything!  
Oh, go gaze at the stars you old fool!  
_  
He was brought out of his thoughts when Donna returned the thermos to him.  
Donna then propped herself on the blankets, and took a sip from her tea, and gazed up at the night sky. She had forgotten how beautiful it could be.

"It's been ages since we've done this." She observed. "You know, I can't even remember…"

She trailed off. How long HAD it been?  
Wilf could see the frustration in Donna's face. He knew it was certainly something that broke his heart, that while Donna couldn't recall any of her adventures, he could. He knew what she was capable of.

"Is that what it is sweetheart?" He asked sweetly. "Your memories?"

"Maybe." Donna said vaguely. "I'm not sure. Gramps, is it OK if I ask you something?"

"Sure." Wilf said. _I'm not sure I'm gonna like this.  
_  
"How long have you known John Smith?"  
_  
Damn! _

"Pardon?"

Donna's eyes narrowed, as she moved closer to him.

"Your friend? Known him long?"

"Ooh, about a year, maybe two." Wilf replied honestly.

"Do you trust him?" Donna asked.

Wilf paused. He actually got up from his seat, and joined Donna on the blankets.

"What's this really about Donna?"

Donna briefly explained what Harry said. Wilf was gob smacked. First of all, if Harry was a friend of The Doctor's… did that make him another alien? _I knew it! They're always after our women! _  
Although that was nothing compared to the indignation when Donna told him Harry's comments. Part of him was tempted to tell her to wise up, after all, she knew John better than that… except that was the problem. She didn't know.

"So that's why I asked. Is John… dangerous?"

Wilf couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Don't be daft." He giggled. "Sweetheart, you know your old granddad. I don't trust any old Joe."

Donna considered this. It was true, her grandfather was a bit cynical, then again she tended to blame that on his conspiracy theories.

"True." Donna replied.

Wilf then composed himself.

"Well, what did you make of him?" He asked. "I mean, you invited him in. So you must have trusted him."

Donna reflected on this. Why had she done that? _It just felt… right._

"Yeah." Donna began. "This mind sound daft…"

"Try me." Wilf teased.

"I know I've only met him twice. But…" She paused to find the words. "It's like, I've known him for ages. Like I know, he would never knowingly hurt me. I just know… he'd risk his life for me."

Wilf's breath tightened as Donna said this. Oh, how he wished he could just lift the lid, let everything that he'd been bottling up out and tell Donna the truth.

"Well, there you go." He said. "We've established John is trustworthy. A bit… eccentric, but harmless."

To his surprise, Donna hugged him.

"Thanks gramps." She said firmly, "You're right."

"Oh, makes a change." He kidded.

Donna broke the hug. She seemed deep in thought.

"Penny for them love?" Wilf asked.

"I'm just wondering, why Harry'd say all that about John then." Donna said. "Why he'd try to put me off him."

Wilf had thought about it too. _The Doctor seemed worried_… But he knew he couldn't tell Donna that. So he faked a mischievous grin.

"Maybe he sees John as competition." He muttered.

_Or maybe Harry's weighing up his options. _Donna thought to herself.  
"A rival for your hand."

Donna snickered. "Yeah right." She exclaimed. _Like I'd ever go for John bleedin' Smith. He's too skinny for one thing.  
_Although she had to admit, the idea of two men vying for her affections was strangely flattering.

"Maybe that's it." Wilf said, if nothing else to put Donna at ease. "I bet it was a bird they fell out over."

"Who knows? Might have been." Donna said. _But probably not_. Maybe she was going about things the wrong way. Maybe it wasn't anything personal. Harry was always… secretive about the nature of his work. And John's questions were about work. Maybe she should look a little closer.

"Anyway," Wilf said, "John's nothing to worry about. You just need to trust your own instincts a bit more."

A look of resolve appeared on Donna's face. _I think I will._

The Doctor figured out The Master's username easily enough, HJones10. It was the password that troubled him. He thought he'd be clever and try to use the Sonic Screwdriver to access the system, but something blocked it.  
_Dead-locked. Ooh, aren't you clever?_  
So he would have to try and find the password. He tried the most obvious one first "Master". Nothing. _OK, how about a variation? _"Maestro." Nope. The screen warned him he only had one more chance to try the password or he'd get locked out. The Doctor let out a frustrated moan.

The Master chuckled as he continued to sabotage the system. "Let's see, delete, delete, encrypt, Trojan, encrypt, ooh another virus I think, delete, um, rick-roll? Should I rick-roll? No better not, that joke's run its course. And, one final touch…"

A thought then struck The Doctor. It was a longshot, but it was worth a try. "Gallifrey."

There was a momentary pause. Then the words, **Welcome back HJones10** appeared on the screen.

The Doctor grinned. Almost too easy.

He then entered the 'my files' folder. One leapt out at him already. It was a document titled 'For The Doctor's eyes only.'

The Doctor cursed to himself. _He was expecting this_. Cautiously, he opened the file.

A video file popped up. It was of The Master grinning smugly at the camera.

"Nice try Doctor!" He exclaimed. "You must think I was born yesterday. Now, I've not deleted all of the files. Some are hidden. Others are infected with an interesting array of viruses. Do you really wanna take the risk? "

He then waved at the camera.

"Toodles."

The Doctor's screen then froze. Frustrated, he hit the monitor.

The Master finished putting his files in his drawer, which he promptly dead-locked. He then got up from his seat, and walked to one of the walls of his office. He swept his hand over it, and a hidden compartment shot open.

The chamber he entered was colossal and filled with many pieces of sophisticated looking technology. He glowered at one chamber in particular.

"Stupid machine." He grumbled. "It's your fault I'm in this mess."

But his focussed then shifted to the item in the middle of the room. Even though its occupant had died a long time ago, he couldn't help but approach it cautiously. There was just something… unsettling about its design. Then again, it was produced simply to kill.

He removed an object from his pocket, and clicked it onto the outer-shell. It vanished from view.

"There." The Master said. "Even if The Doctor finds you, he won't see you. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise now, would we?"

He exited the room, and as a final precaution dead-locked it.

"There." He said. "All done and dusted. Now… Operation 'Snag Gin-ger's marbles' phase 2 can begin."

He had a think.

"Note to self- think of better name for operation."


	4. Chapter 4

While The Doctor wasn't able to access The Master's files at that moment, he didn't just sit idly by. He clicked on careers again. _Let's see, data-entry operator, temporary, immediate start. _He grinned at the irony, him temping at Donna's workplace. Surely enough, his qualifications ensured he'd got the job, starting Monday. Which left him with plenty of time to try and work on his plan to salvage Donna's memories.

The only drawback was that his mind was a total blank. He'd first thought about trying to alter the Chameleon arch, but since Donna was technically already human, trying to turn her into one wouldn't work. There was of course the added problem that a Chameleon Arch replaces memories, and Donna had already forgotten enough without having an entirely new identity made for her. And the other option of turning her into a timelord had a number of problems: Firstly, it would more than likely be fatal and Secondly, it would lead to a whole new set of ethical dilemmas.

_Oh well, back to square one I suppose. _He turned around and walked up to the TARDIS console. Because a metacrisis was so rare, the TARDIS databanks were as useful as a chocolate teapot. He sucked his teeth as he drummed his hand against the console. _Maybe if I try a different phrase…_

So then he searched for 'restoring memories'. Unfortunately, all it said was that on some worlds it was common for those who could afford it (once they were dying) to have their memories downloaded onto a computer and then transferring the memories (or those specifically chosen by the host) into a clone body. It even showed a 3d image of the chamber required for such a procedure.

The Doctor started blankly at the screen, horrified. _How can anybody do that? What kind of monster would do that? _His eyes burned in anger that someone could be that selfish, and it turned his stomach. He vowed that there was no way he would do that to Donna, especially after what he'd already put her through.

_No, there HAS to be an easier option. _He rubbed his hands against his temple, in an effort to speed up his thinking, but the only thought running through his mind was that he was wasting time. And that humming really wasn't he…

_Wait a second, humming?_

He peered over the console, where a spectre was slumped in the chair.

"Is it that late already?"

_**You better believe it. **_DoctorDonna said, before she started humming again. There was something oddly familiar about the melody…

"So, how long has The Master been around?" The Doctor asked, as he wandered around the console.

_**Donna first met Harry a few months ago. **_DoctorDonna said, as she put her feet up on the console, and they sank right through. _**Oh, I hate it when that happens! **_

The Doctor cleared his throat.

_**Sorry. **_DoctorDonna said. _**She'd been temping as usual, but Harry offered her a fulltime position, saying she was too talented to be just a temp. Over time, they became friends, and well, you saw the rest yourself.**_

"Yes, I did." The Doctor said wearily.

DoctorDonna grinned. If she didn't know The Doctor better (and she was essentially him), she'd say he looked jealous.

The Doctor continued to pace.

"But that doesn't make sense." He said. "I understand him infiltrating the Foundation- given his track record he's after a bit of tech that'll either help him rule the universe, or just allow him to cause trouble. But… where's Donna fit in?" .

DoctorDonna 'Hmm'd and started to rub her chin.

_**Yes, why would he suddenly show up out of the blue and try to court our favourite redhead? What is it about the marvellous Donna that makes her stand out from anyone else in the universe? Is he planning on using her womanly wiles to enslave existence? Or maybe he needs some files typed up- remember, hundred words per minute. Or…**_

Fear froze The Doctor in his place. _Of course…_

"My mind." He said nervously. "Donna's got my mind. Everything I know is locked away in her brain."

The Doctor's hearts started racing into overdrive. If Davros was right, that he turned his companions into weapons, then he made Donna into a ticking time bomb. _The Master's dangerous enough as he is. But if he had my mind…_

To his annoyance, DoctorDonna had started to hum again, and was started to swing back and forth in the chair. The Doctor suddenly grabbed both arms.

"WILL YOU STOP THAT?!" He yelled. "Donna's in imminent danger, I've got no time for Name That Tune!"

_**Oh give over! **_DoctorDonna snapped. To The Doctor's amazement, she went to smack him, her face the epitomy of rage. Her arm thankfully went through him.

She then mockingly clutched her chest, '_**Oh woe is me, poor Donna!' **_She then tried to shove The Doctor, and he instinctively pulled back.

"Hey, what was that for?"

_**Remember- this is Donna bloody Noble, saviour of the universe we're talking about! **_DoctorDonna said angrily, as she rose slowly from her chair. _**Hell, forget that, she's the woman who saved you! She's**_ _**not a bleedin' damsel in distress! **_

"I, I know that." The Doctor countered.

_**So stop talkin about her like she is! **_DoctorDonna commanded, as she pointed angrily at him. _**Hell, she's done more than you have! Donna is smart, assertive and can look after herself. And those are just SOME of the reasons why you love her, you… THICKO! **_

"Excuse me?"

_**Oh for God's sake, Hello?! You know deep down y-**_

But The Doctor hadn't heard most of DoctorDonna's rant.

"How's she done more than I have?"

DoctorDonna's jaw dropped. She had just poured her, well his, hearts out and he hadn't even been listening. _Typical. _She folded her arms, and looked the… nitwit in the eyes.

_**Right now, she's slumped out in front of her laptop, because she spent all night reading Harry Jones' secret files. Remember, she's his PA? She's got backups.**_

"Oh yeah." The Doctor muttered.

_**Yeah, you forgot hadn't you? **_DoctorDonna said sarcastically, _**Because you couldn't resist another childish spat with The Master. Mind you, came in handy for once. Because THAT got Donna thinking. **_

The Doctor looked slightly offended at being called childish, but couldn't help feel inspiration kick in,

"Of course! Good ol' Donna Noble. She's got all the info I'd need!"

_**Yes, except that's created a slight problem.**_

The Doctor's breathing went heavy. Cautiously he asked, "What kind of problem?"

DoctorDonna put a hand up.

_**Oh, don't worry. Well, not yet. It's made Donna curious. She's gonna start snooping around, asking questions she normally wouldn't.**_

"And if she's not careful," The Doctor interrupted, "Boom."

_**Yeah… so if I were you I'd double my efforts. **_She then resumed humming.

"Well you could help!" The Doctor exclaimed. "You said I already knew how to save her. How? And wh…"

_**Don't you recognise the tune? **_She interrupted. _**Think- who did you know that liked singing? **_

"I dunno, lots of people. Me and Roy Orbison were good-"

_**What SPECIES liked singing? A lot? All the time in fact? Subliminally? Oh, and here's a clue.**_

She raised her hands to the front of her face and wriggled her fingers.

"I don't know. Never met a race with fingers coming out of their mouths."

_**Oh for fu- And you're supposed to be clever! Lord, I can hear the Timelords spinning in their graves like a dynamo. Think, they christened me for flip's sake.**_

"Donna Noble?" The Doctor said confused. "I thought that was Sylvia. Mind you, I did wonder-"

_**I'm NOT Donna Noble! **_The figure said. _**Now think. I'm not her. I'm not The Doctor. I'm the…**_

She made a rolling gesture with her hands, urging him to finish it.

"DoctorDonna." The Doctor then moaned, as the penny finally dropped. "Of course! The Ood. Of course it's the Ood… wait, what about the Ood?"

_**If I could, I'd strangle you. **_DoctorDonna said. _**Now why couldn't the Ood sing?**_

"Because…" The Doctor began. For the second time, the urge to kick himself kicked in. "There was a telepathic dampening field blocking the Ood brain."

DoctorDonna slow-clapped.

_**And to think, I only had to spoon-feed you it. God, you're rubbish without me. Her. Us. **_

"Well," The Doctor said, as he threw his jacket off, "I now know what to do."

_**So do it already! **_DoctorDonna snapped. _**Preferabbly before your old playmate sucks all her brainpower out of her. Ooh, and if I were you, I'd stick close to me. Her. This is confusing.**_

"You're telling me." The Doctor said. "Hmm, John Smith doesn't have a car. Maybe I should find out if Donna's willing to carpool. Be a mate."

_**Chances are you're in luck. **_DoctorDonna said. _**She'd want to interrogate ya, pick your brains. Such as they are.**_

"Oi!"

_**You do know we've wasted another three hours talking? **_

"You co-"

_**I couldn't have just said The Ood. Couple of reasons. Namely: KABOOM. And well, who knew it'd take ya so long? Have I mentioned you're thick? Get our girl back ASAP. And on that note…**_

The spirit vanished again.


	5. Chapter 5

Donna bolted upright. She'd had another one of those strange, vivid dreams that had become more regular in recent months. In this one, there was a singing octopus in the snow. And John Smith was there… _Bizarre. What time is it anyway?_

Donna glanced at her watch. _Crap! _Luckily she'd still kept some of her clothes in her old room for cases like this. And well, she was sure mum wouldn't mind her borrowing the car. Again.

In record time she got washed and changed. She quickly removed the USB device from the laptop and pocketed it. She also decided to bring the laptop, just to be save. If she was going to be snooping at confidential documents, she figured it'd be best NOT to use a company computer to do so.

She was about to open the front door, when there was a knock. She paused. _Who could that be? _For a minute she was worried. Then she remembered a few things. Firstly, no-one knew what she was doing. Two, men in black showing up on the doorstep only happened in rubbish movies. And on the off-chance it was the MIBs, they weren't likely to knock, now, were they?

Donna then approached the door, and peered at the figure through the glass. While she couldn't say she was entirely surprised, his appearance was a little out of the blue.

_Bad enough dreaming about him, without him showing up on my doorstep. Oh well, might as well hear him out. _

The Doctor smiled as Donna opened the front door.

"Hullo Donna." He said in a friendly manner. _Remember, relax, be friendly. _"And um, aren't you looking well? Not that you don't always look well, you do. It's just, eh, listen, I wanted to as-"

Donna rolled her eyes. _There's no time for this!_ She cut John's twittering short. "John, I'm already running late. Cut to the chase."

"Funny you should mention that," The Doctor said, as he scratched his sideburn. "I've just got a job in your place. Don't suppose I could get a lift? I wo-"

"Get in!" Donna commanded as she thrust her laptop and folder into his arms. She then stomped over to the car and opened it.

_Atta girl. _The Doctor thought to himself. She was still the same no-nonsense Donna he knew and l-He shook himself out of it, as Donna started the car.

"You comin' or not?" She hollered.

The Doctor quickly threw her objects into the backseat, then climbed in.

For a moment they sat in silence.

"So, um," The Doctor began anxiously.

"Come on John." Donna said irritably. "You're the one who wanted to talk!"

The Doctor sighed. _How to put this…_

"Donna," he began, "I don't want to frighten you, but…"

"Harry's up to something, I know." Donna said tiredly.

"WHAT?" The Doctor yelled.

"Well, that's what you were gonna tell me, wasn't it?" She then put a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. "Dunno all the details… " She said before yawning again, "But it sounds fishy. Listen, do you mind if I stop for a coffee?"

"Not at all." The Doctor replied. _Gives me time to think._

Donna pulled over at a nearby corner shop and bought herself a cup of coffee. While she was in line, she took the time to phone work to tell Harry she'd be a little late.

"Oh don't worry love." The Master grinned. "The system's down at the minute anyway, some vandal hacked into the network. "

"Is that right?" Donna asked, trying to hide the suspicion in her voice.

"Uh-huh." Harry said. "Listen, do you still have those back-ups?"

Donna paused. "I…might. I'll check."

"Cheers. Have I told you you're brilliant?"

Donna bit her lip. Part of her wanted to believe this was all just a misunderstanding. But there was something… hollow about Harry's words.

"Talk to you later, alright?" She said before hanging up.

"Is that everything?" The person behind the checkout inquired.

Donna paused. _Might as well get John something I suppose._

The Doctor was preoccupied trying to work out that challenging conundrum- how to tell Donna, without telling her. So he was a little surprised when she thrust a banana into his hands.

"Figured you'd need the extra energy, get your brain working." She deadpanned.

"Cheers." The Doctor said. He was surprised. Obviously part of her subconscious remembered he liked them.

Donna looked out. The road was total gridlock.

"Oh well." She said. "Harry said there's no rush. Apparently, computer problems affecting the whole system."

"Is that so?" The Doctor replied. He then realised how that sounded, "Um, not that I know an…"

Donna gently put her hand on his. "John," She said tenderly, "If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't be here."

The Doctor couldn't help feel touched. He could tell, deep down, *his* Donna was still there. _Don't worry. I'll get you back._

"Anyway, it gives us time to catch-up." Donna grinned. "So, tell me what you know."

"How about you start?" The Doctor suggested, as he started to unpeel his banana.

"Ooh, dodgy." Donna said teasingly, "Answering a question with a question. Makes me think you're hiding something. What?"

Donna looked, and saw that John had taken a large mouthful of banana. He gestured that he couldn't talk at the moment.

"Nicely played." Donna quipped.

She told John about Harry's warning. He scoffed at it.

"John, I bet you're gonna tell me the same sort of thing." Donna said. "That he's not the man I think he is, that you're worried in case he hurts me."

_More than you can ever imagine. _The Doctor thought.

"So, I reckoned you talked about work, Harry goes all Secret Squirrel about what he's doing. Now, I'm not the brightest…"

The Doctor made a noise as if to disagree.

"But," Donna countered, "I can put two and two together. So I figured I'd do a little investigating."

Donna paused to take another sip. "Tell me John… Do you know much about aliens?"

Unknown to Donna, if it wasn't for The Doctor's rather alien gag reflex, he would have choked at that moment.

"Oh, what am I saying? " She continued on obliviously, "You're mates with granddad, you're probably into all those conspiracy theories. Hell you probably believe all that guff about planets in the sky and that."

The Doctor had finished swallowing.

"Why… do you ask?" He said cautiously.

Donna paused as someone indicated to let her out.

"Bless you!" She said. "Nice to see a bit of manners about. Doesn't hurt to be considerate."

She then thrust her paper cup into The Doctor's hands.

"No," The Doctor said sarcastically, "It doesn't."

Donna started the car again.

"So," The Doctor began, as he slipped his seatbelt back on. "Aliens then?"

"Well," Donna said, as she pulled out. "It turns out the foundation is a big front. Oh sure, they are interested in science and that. But let's say they specialise in...unusual stuff."

"Aliens." The Doctor said.

"Yeah." Donna smiled. "But you probably knew that."

"I had a feeling." The Doctor replied. "I'm surprised at your reaction."

"Wha?" Donna said indignantly. "So I don't believe the planet got nicked and put back before you could say 'War of the worlds'. That doesn't mean, somewhere among all them stars granddad showed me, in a universe this big, that there isn't some intelligent life. I mean… there's bugger all here!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." The Doctor remarked. "Donna, there are lots of people in this world, who are capable of the most amazing things. They might not think they're clever, or special, but they can do stuff no-one else can. They just need two things: someone to show them how brilliant they really are… and a bit of faith in themselves."

John's words resonated with Donna. They were touching, perhaps the kindest that anyone had ever said to her. And yet… she couldn't help but get a feeling of déjà vu . For a moment, different moments flashed before her eyes of John simply saying "You're brilliant." _Don't be daft. _She berated herself. _That's impossible._

She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you flirting with me?" She asked accusingly.

"What?!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Um, no."

"Oh, why not?" Donna said jokingly, "Got something against gingers?"

"No, I love gingers." The Doctor said. "Especially yours, I wish I had hair like that!"

Donna pulled a face. "Suck up."

It was only then The Doctor realised Donna was teasing him.

"Oh… that's not fair." The Doctor moaned. "I was just trying to be nice."

"Tough!" Donna said as she stuck her tongue out.

After their laughter had subsided a little, The Doctor cleared his throat.

"So, The Foundation's investigating aliens. Find much?"

"You bet." Donna remarked. "Apparently, recently a whole haul of ET's rubbish landed smack in the Outback. They reckon they can salvage some of it, put it to use."

"Good use I hope." The Doctor interrupted.

"Just says use." Donna replied. "And you'll never guess who's in charge of the operation."

"Let me think," The Doctor said, "Wouldn't be a certain Mr. Jones, boyfriend of a certain Donna Noble?"

Donna pulled a face. The Doctor looked confused. _Did I say something wrong?_

"John," She began, "I know how things look but.. Harry's not *really* my boyfriend."

"Oh." The Doctor muttered. "I th-"

"It's what a lot of people think." Donna sighed. "I don't know what the story is. He always seems a bit distant. Like he's just using me to pass the time. Oh sure, around other people he's all kisses and compliments. And… he's nice."

The Doctor could tell there was a 'But' coming.

"But," Donna said, "I dunno if he actually loves me. And, well, I'm fond of him. But I…"

She trailed off.

"Listen to me nattering away," She suddenly said, "I've told you all I know."

"Donna," The Doctor said hesitantly, "please don't hate me for saying this. But you have to understand, I wouldn't say it unless it was true."

"Go on," Donna urged.

"Harry may have told you I'm trouble…" He began, "but I'm an amateur compared to him. When he sets his mind on a goal, there's very little he wouldn't do or say to get what he wants. "

"I can believe that." Donna said, "The number of strongly worded letters I've had to type."

The Doctor turned his face towards Donna. "Donna, this is serious. He is willing to destroy lives. He'll do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to anyone in order to achieve his goals. And if he's tampering with something alien… things are bad. Big time."

Donna listened to John's words carefully.

"On a scale of one to ten?" She asked.

The Doctor pondered this, "Twenty seven."

Donna's eyes widened. "That bad?"

The Doctor nodded. " But, I've stopped him before, and I'll do it again."

"No…" Donna said, "WE'LL do it. What's the plan?"

The Doctor was about to protest, but Donna cleared her throat, as her grip on the wheel tightened. The Doctor also saw the determination in her eyes. Every fibre of Donna's being said, _I've made up my mind and you can't stop me._

"John," Donna said in a cool, deliberate tone, "Don't tell me not to get involved. I already am. So, what can I do to help?"

The Doctor thought. _Won't find anything in his office, he's not that stupid. _

"Can I borrow your laptop?" The Doctor asked.

"Do you one better." Donna said, as she fumbled in her pockets for the USB stick.

"Cheers." The Doctor said, "Won't be a moment."

John pulled out, what looked to Donna, to be a mobile phone, and stuck the stick in. He then fiddled with some buttons.

"There." He grinned, before removing the stick. "Cheers, sent that to my private email."

"That's a funny looking phone." Donna remarked.

The Doctor flinched. Maybe using the TARDIS mobile wasn't his wisest move. "It's an import." He lied.

That seemed to satisfy Donna.

"Well that's all fine and well," She began, "But there's got to be more we can do."

The Doctor grinned. _We. Like the old days._

"Well," he said aloud, "There's bound to be something in the offices. Something hidden, something that wouldn't be on computer."

Donna paused.

"I could try snagging Harry's key card." She suggested, "Should get you into the labs."

"That's awfully risky." The Doctor said.

"I can handle it."

"Donna," The Doctor said seriously, "You're already in danger. I don-"

"He wouldn't even notice." Donna interrupted. She grinned. "I think it's time for Harry to have his first domestic. She said evilly. "A good row should distract him. Easy enough 'Are we or aren't we a thing?' 'Do you really love me?'"

It was rare, but for once The Doctor couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for The Master.


	6. Chapter 6

The Master clutched his head. It was bad enough that The Doctor was snooping around, that was a headache in its own right. But now the drums were calling to him. Their beat had become frenzied, louder, almost to the point where he could barely move due to the pain. How could anyone say it was all in his head? They were the lunatics. To him, it was clear the drums were sending him a message. They were saying _Stop wasting time! There's a universe to conquer! GET ON WITH IT!_

_OK-OK. _He pleaded feebly, in the hope it would silence them. It seemed to placate them somewhat.

The Master sighed. Thankfully, as head of the Foundation all he had to do was occasionally show his face at meetings and check in on the other departments once in a while. He was left to his own devices for the most part. Gave him time to rectify his…nightmare. And it was all supposed to be simple. 'Die', wait until The Doctor either buried or cremated him, Lucy uses his TARDIS (which he specifically set to lock onto his ring) to find him, get resurrected, resume mayhem. But it seemed everything that could go wrong, did.

He opened his desk momentarily, and removed his laser screwdriver. Such a useful instrument. No, it was more than that. This was the key to his salvation. _All The Doctor's thoughts, all that knowledge, will be mine. I'll be all I ever was and more… If I can get the bloody thing to work that is. _

He drummed on the desktop surface, unaware he was beating it to the tune of the drums. _Hmm, what to do. _Obviously he would have to double his efforts. But both his options were hazardous. The first was to begin testing it out on people- which would arouse suspicion. The other option that immediately sprang to mind was to try it out on an animal. Start off small, and work his way up. But unfortunately that would require a lot of time, which he didn't have. _And I'm not gonna end up with a hamster's memories! I don't want to end up gnawing on things. Again. Bad enough when I became a Cheetah man._

He glanced around the room as he racked his brain. _Think… the brain holds information. Lots of it. So what else has lots of information?_ He glanced at his computer. _Aha! Well, they say a computer's just an electronic brain. _He then frowned, as he remembered he'd done a thorough job wrecking the system.

_Wait a minute…computers aren't the only thing with lots of info. _He pulled out his mobile, and called up the internet explorer on it. He hoped this would work. He pressed the device to the phone.

Instantaneously, The Master could feel a surge of information shoot through his head. He scowled as a sensation like boiling lava shot through his body. _Dear Lord all the porn… all the useless arguments…and more porn! God, what a twisted, sick species. _But thankfully, his brain was able to hold all the information in. That was the main thing.

He tried to pull the screwdriver away, but it was still clinging on, seeking more information, going deeper. Government records, encrypted messages, its thirst was insatiable. But, with great effort and determination, The Master pulled it away. Unfortunately, all that remained of his mobile was a crumbling pile of dust. _Damn! Oh well, better have Donna get me a new one. _He made a quick note of the results.

In quick succession, he swept the remains of his mobile in the bin, and placed his notepad and screwdriver back in his top drawer. At that exact moment, there was a loud, angry knocking on the door. Without waiting for him to respond, the door flung open and Donna marched in.

"Oi you." She said sternly, "I've got a bone to pick with you!"

The Master froze. _What the hell?_ But he wasn't about to let himself be intimidated. _Remind her who has the power here. _He ignored her, and pretended to tidy some papers on his desk.

"Good morning Ms. Noble, how nice of you to join us." He said coolly. He gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

But Donna didn't budge.

"Less of the Ms. Noble, Mr. Jones." She snapped. "I'm v-"

"You know, when I said take your time, I didn't mean half the morning."

Without warning, Donna swept some items off the top of his desk.

"Don't you interrupt me!" She warned.

"I will interrupt you if I so wish." The Master said, ignoring her. "You may have forgotten, but I am your boss."

_Damn! _Donna cursed. She'd hoped he'd go to pick things up, giving her access to the desk. She knew he kept his card in his top drawer.

"And," The Master continued, "While I can tolerate many things, rudeness and persistent lateness-"

"Persistent? You are joking me, right?" Donna snapped, as she lent forward. She made sure she was right in his line of sight.

"This is my first time being late since I started." She stated factually.

The Master lent forward to match her gaze.

"Carry on that attitude, and it may be your last."

Donna scoffed, "You wouldn't last five minutes without me."

"I've managed so far." The Master said snidely.

"Oh?" Donna said, as she moved around the desk to meet him. She never took her eyes off him.

"Then tell me, Mr. Jones, what have you got done this morning? Finish with the Spencer file? How about the closure on the Benson deal? Got back to Professor Fry?"

The Master opened and closed his mouth in astonishment. Damn, she was good. _And kinda hot when she's mad. _A little voice in his mind said. A voice all the other voices in his mind immediately told to shut up.

Donna then made a grand gesture of looking at her watch.

"Oh yeah, and weren't you supposed to be observing some test… ten minutes ago?"

A look of panic appeared on The Master's face. _Damn! _The drums, The Doctor, they'd all thrown him off. _Stupid double life. _It was only now he realised how much easier Donna made things for him. _It's tough being the boss._

At that exact moment, the phone in Donna's office rang. The Master looked expectantly at her.

"Hey, you said you were managing without me." Donna said.

Huffily, The Master stormed out of his office to answer the phone.

Donna waited until Harry was too busy to pay attention, and she rushed into action. She pocketed the key card, a notebook and… some weird silver object. _Looks alien. John might find it helpful._

After closing the drawer, she dove on the floor and started to pick up the objects and papers she had earlier discarded. Perfect cover in case he walked in.

"And the same to you!" The Master yelled as he threw the receiver down. He made a mental note- whenever it came to the testing on people stage of things, make Collinson the first test-subject. Jumped up little…

He grinned as he saw Donna tidy up the mess she had made. Soon she'd be apologising to him, and everything would be better again.

Smiling widely, he entered his office again, ready to forgive her.

"Alright de-"

Donna then immediately shoved them all off of the desk again. The Master was gob-smacked.

"Wh-wha?"

"Seems that's the only way of getting your attention." She said flatly, as she sat down, and fixed him with a stare. "And don't you EVER threaten my job again!"

The Master paused. "What do you want Donna?" He asked coolly.

Donna folded her arms.

"I want to talk. About us." Donna said.

The Master rolled his eyes, as he walked back to his desk. Donna spun in the chair, keeping her eyes on him the whole time.

"Not now." The Master whined.

"Now's as good a time as any." Donna said.

"Donna," The Master said as he sat down, "It's unprofessional to bring home into the workp…"

"Oh, so now I'm unprofessional am I? Tell me, how professional is it to ask your PA out? And isn't it unprofessional to miss meetings?"

Donna grinned triumphantly.

The Master clasped his hands together, mainly to stop himself from grabbing her and breaking her neck. That would be most counter-productive.

"Alright then." He said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you love me?" She demanded.

"What kind of que-"

"Do… you… love me?" She asked candidly. "Yes… or no? Not the hardest question in the world."

The Master was wrong-footed.

"Um, uh, I'm very fond of you." He said weakly.

"I see." Donna said, getting up. "That answers that question."

She went to leave, hoping that would be a perfect cover.

"Donna wait!" The Master called. She couldn't walk out. He needed her brain. And she made good coffee. And most importantly, she knew all his secrets. Well, the open secrets.

Donna hesitated. Harry sounded…emotional. _Don't fall for it._

"Don't go. I… I need you." He said honestly, choking on the words. After all, all those plans depended on what she had in her brain. There was too much on the line for him to lose her now.

Donna resisted the urge to say something rude. She turned to face Harry. She saw the anguish in his face. _Either he's a bloody good actor, or he's telling the truth._

"Well," she said, trying to remain cool, "How come when we're with others you're all kisses and angel, and darling, but when it's just us…"

The Master hesitated. He hadn't realised she'd noticed that.

"I didn't want to come on too strong." He lied, "I mean, having someone clinging to you all the time, hanging on every word, that's bound to get sickening."

He knew that's how he felt about Lucy at times. Poor little Lucy…

"But," he continued, "Donna… believe me when I say you're so, so important to me. My future depends on you. And I want to be close to you."

Donna felt conflicted. It was like one of those cartoons with the little angel and the little devil on each shoulder. Half of her was telling her he was bluffing, don't be stupid, just leave. But, the other voice was telling her he was being genuine. Give him a chance.

"When you say close… how close do you mean?" She asked, "Close as in, rest of your life? Close as in wham bam, thank you ma'am. Or close as in 'We were like brothers, except closer.'"

The Master cringed inwardly. Had he *really* said that?

"Well," The Master said, "um…"

"Harry," Donna said, "I ask because… sometimes it seems you're just using me to pass the time. That there's someone you'd rather be with."

_Ooh, you're good. _The Master thought. But he said, "Of course not! There's nobody else."

"Then how do you explain that ring?" Donna said accusingly, pointing to his hand. "Are you married?"

The Master hesitated. Technically, the answer was yes. But…no. She was gone. He wished she wasn't, but the fact was, he was here and she was… elsewhere. But that wouldn't help him in this situation.

"No, this isn't a wedding ring." He remarked. "It's just… a trinket. From home."

"Oh." Donna said, a little sheepishly.

The Master grinned. "And why would I want to be with anyone else? You're special Donna. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel anything other than that."

Donna's inner conflict raged on. She was crumbling. But she had one last ace to play.

"That's it then? Sorry makes it better? What about that 'Ms. Noble' guff earlier? Or last night?"

The Master winced.

"You're right." He said. "Let me make it up to you. Say… dinner tonight? Your choice, I pay. Deal?"

Donna thought about this. Part of her still wanted to tell Harry to get stuffed. But two things came to mind. One, it would be a good way to get Harry alone, catch him off guard, see if he slipped up. Two… she'd always wanted to go to that really expensive Italian Nerys kept raving about.

"Alright then." She said. "Pick me up at seven?"

"Molto bene." The Master said, as he walked over. He went to kiss Donna. She swiftly turned so the kiss landed on her cheek.

"I've not forgiven you… yet." Donna smirked, as she left.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor sat patiently in the empty seminar room. Apparently, the others were being given a tour of the facilities, which he'd missed by arriving late. _Oh well. I'll find my own way. I usually do._

He couldn't pretend he was going to enjoy this induction process. From what he gathered it was going to be a series of overly long and boring talks/workshops. But he tried to focus on the positives- it would give Donna time to get the key card.  
And he used the time wisely as well. His mind went to work, trying to think of a way of creating the dampening field to separate DoctorDonna from the rest of Donna's brain. Preferably one that wouldn't need Donna to be constantly bombarded with electricity. Perhaps…

Without warning, the door swung open, and the rest of the group filed in. A young, chirpy looking woman approached him.

"Oh hi!" She squeaked in an overly enthusiastic voice, as she grabbed his hand and shook it. "You must be John. Lovely to see you! I'm Emily from HR."

The Doctor was about to say hello, but Emily carried on talking.

"I'm terribly sorry you missed the tour. Oh well! Better late than never, eh? I can tell you that the little boy's room is just down the hall. Just in case you need it"

The Doctor's face froze in a polite smile. _The little boy's room? _

Emily made her way up to the front of the room. "Hi guys!" She beamed, as she waved in an exaggerated manner. The Doctor half-expected her to burst into song at any moment. _I've seen cartoons less animated then she is.  
_  
"Before we crack on, there's just one or two teeny, tiny little announcements." She giggled.

The Doctor looked flabbergasted as Emily continued on in this manner. Her face lit up with joy as she gestured to the water-cooler in the back of the room, in case anyone felt a little thirsty. She held the leaflet detailing the events of the induction process aloft, as though it was Arthur with Excalibur, as she redundantly repeated its contents.  
He looked across at one of the new people starting, and gave them a look as if to ask, 'This is a joke right?'. They just smiled sadly and shook their head. The Doctor's hearts sunk. He'd endured many cruel and unusual punishments in his life-time- the Martrofian inquisition, being exiled and worst of all, Mel's carrot juice. But this, was going to be painful on a whole new level.

First- there were the 'Icebreakers'. In theory, these games were a good way of getting to know other people. But in practise, it was just uncomfortable.

"Here's one simple game to start us off." Emily grinned. "You say your name, and use a word that has the first letter of your name to describe yourself. For example, I'm Emily and I'm…"

_Exasperating? _

"Energetic!" She giggled. "Now, John it's your turn."

"Um," The Doctor said sheepishly, "I'm John and I'm…a jannock."

He was quite proud of that. Nice word, jannock. And it was true- he was outgoing, pleasant and honest. Mostly. Sometimes. When he felt like it.

"Ooh, that's a big word." Emily said, as though addressing a room of toddlers.

And so the 'games' continued. Each more ludicrous and patronising than the one that preceded it. Which would have been well and good, except for the fact they were all going to be doing different jobs and never see one another after today.  
Not that The Doctor minded. It gave him some more time to think. He tried to think- was there something he already had that could do the trick? _Dunno. Something like what?_  
He held his head in his hands, deep in thought. Even something he could adjust would do. Maybe a device designed to shield against something else. Another damping device. Like…and at that moment, he remembered. He *had* just the thing. Something that he used when he first met Donna.

_**With this ring, I thee bio damp. **_

The Doctor's head was buzzing with excitement, nay, euphoria. _Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?!_ Like DoctorDonna told him, he had the solution the whole time. It was as though he'd been trying to complete a jigsaw without looking at the box. But now, the pieces were fitting together.  
He resisted the urge to make this a full-blown Eureka moment. Because he was pretty certain that standing up and yelling 'I'VE GOT IT!' wasn't the best way to ingratiate yourself to others on your first day. Furthermore, there was no use in getting too excited. _I better make sure I still have it.  
_  
"Emily." He said politely. She ignored him. "Emily." He said, more firmly. The Doctor sighed, as he put his hand up. That got her attention.

"Yes, Johnny Jannock?" She asked teasingly.

"I'm just… gonna go." He said, praying she wouldn't humiliate him further by asking if it was a number one or two.

Emily grinned. "OK, but hurry up." She said, waving the leaflet, "Dr. Rice's presentation starts in five minutes."

The Doctor glanced at the figure fumbling with the overhead projector. He was a rather dour looking fellow. He carried himself with the warmth and enthusiasm of a man who was told not only did he have one day to live, but it would be spent bleeding from every orifice simultaneously. And he had to fill in his tax return form too.

"Yeah," The Doctor said, "Wouldn't want to miss that."

Once he was safely locked inside one of the cubicles, The Doctor started to rummage in his pockets. He'd forgotten just how much junk he had in them.

_Let's see: Sonic screwdriver, TARDIS mobile, hmm, what's this? _He uncrumpled the sheet of paper. It had two phone numbers on it, and was signed 'Love MW and SB.' He frowned. _MW and… Oh yeah, Mae West and Sherry Britton! Lord what a time we ha…FOCUS! Donna's life is at stake here!  
_  
He shook himself out of it and tried the other pocket: _Handkerchief made of thodan cloth, a dilithium crystal, a bit of chewing gum… _he popped it into his mouth. _Hmm, mint. Come on, come on…_ The Doctor relaxed as he felt a familiar lump. He pulled his hand out, and opened his palm.

"Hello gorgeous." He muttered. Memories came flooding back of that day. It wasn't until much later he realised that Donna's sudden appearance was just what he needed. She'd helped him so much that day. Time to return the favour. _Let's hope I can get you to work this time. _

He rummaged in his other pocket and took out the Sonic-Screwdriver. He had to make sure it was possible. Nothing would be worse than discovering his efforts were all in vain. As the tool went to work, The Doctor secretly prayed to any force that was listening: _Please, let there be a cha…_the scan finished.

He observed the results. Then quietly pumped his fist and muttered, 'Yes.' Granted, it would take a LOT of work, not to mention a technical genius to pull it off. _Good thing I'm on it then._ However, it would have to wait for the minute. Most of the tools he'd need were in the TARDIS.

So he grudgingly made his way back to the seminar room. Just in time for the presentation. It was on 'the history of the foundation.' _Good._ The Doctor thought, _Something useful at last. Might get a few answers.  
_  
"The Foundation," Professor Rice rumbled, "Was originally conceived to work in conjunction with the government. Unfortunately, due to… issues with other groups the government had funded…"

_Such as accidentally allowing Cybermen to cross into our universe._ The Doctor thought.

"…not to mention the financial strain caused by the drainage of the Thames…"

The Doctor had to resist the urge to apologise for that.

"We had to turn to the private sector. One of our chief investors was Mr. Bayldon Copper, from whom the Foundation takes its name. Without his generosity, the foundation would never have got off the ground."

The Doctor's jaw nearly dropped as the slide showed a picture of the man he'd last seen on Christmas. _Sometimes, for all its size, the universe seems so small.  
_  
Rice brought up the next slide, which was a group of rather serious looking professional men and women, apart from one who was grinning smugly at the camera. One The Doctor recognised. But only vaguely. _Ah, a perception filter. That's why no-one's noticed you look exactly like a certain former PM.  
_  
"The Foundation," Professor Rice expounded, " like many is overseen by a council." He then proceeded to go into elaborate detail of the qualifications and areas of expertise of each member of the council. The Doctor was starting to wonder if this was some sick game The Master was playing, making him sit through this.

"But at the moment," Rice eventually said, "many of the council are away on business, and one or two are on sabbatical. Meaning that Dr. Harold Jones in charge."

The Doctor couldn't help but feel a little sickened upon hearing that. Then again, he couldn't say he was entirely surprised either, given The Master's track-record. _Some people never change._

'Now, I'm sure you're all wondering one thing…"

_When you'll stop talking? _

"What exactly do we do here, at the Foundation?" Professor Rice asked rhetorically. He called up the next slide.

"Our mission statement is simple: To promote the advance of science."

Those words then appeared on the slide, in big bright letters, with a 'Whooshing' sound. The Doctor wasn't impressed. From a brief glance, he could tell neither were the others.

"As well as to focus on understanding…"

Whoosh.

"…and developing…"

Whoosh.

_Oh come on! _The Doctor thought.

"…our knowledge of new technologies, in response to new challenges and unprecedented scientific, technological and economic opportunities. "

"Aliens." The Doctor muttered, "Why don't you just say aliens?"

'Did you have something to say Mr. Smith?" Professor Rice asked irritably.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, sorry."

And so it continued: there was a list of one or two of the projects the Foundation had worked on (including, to The Doctor's amazement, the sub wave network.) etc. etc. During this time, The Doctor's mind wandered again towards the mechanics of how to alter the bio damper. He also realised there was one slight problem. How was he going to get Donna to wear it? _Maybe…_

"And now," Emily said, "we're going to have a short presentation from our Health and Safety Officer…"

_Does the excitement never end?_

While in real time only five, possibly ten minutes passed, The Doctor could feel the life-force draining out of him. Mercifully at that moment, there was a gentle wrap at the door. Donna grinned apologetically as she stuck her head round the door.

"Sorry, need a word with John Smith." She grinned. "Nothing major, just part of the application form not filled in properly."

The Doctor was grateful to see Donna. _Freedom!_ He was tempted to get up and hug her, praise her for saving him from yet another 'How many safety hazards can YOU see in this scene' picture. But instead he decided to just say, "Oh. Ok." as he got up.

The Master was still perplexed by the conversation he had with Donna. Was it really just a domestic? _She DOES need a lot of assurance. She has absolutely zero self-esteem._ It was one of the many things about her that immensely irritated him. But he knew that wasn't it. Donna's behaviour was changing. And this change started to happen around the same time an old enemy reappeared.  
Typical- lately he couldn't shake The Doctor off, but where was he when he needed him? Then again, it probably wouldn't have mattered. _Too dangerous for one thing._ He pondered, _Trying to steal another time lord's memories. Two timelord brains vying for control of the one body. Recipe for disaster.  
_

"So what do you say?" A voice suddenly cut the air. "Sir?"

The Master's concentration was shattered. He glanced at the woman who sat before him, as he quickly tried to recall who she was. He was guessing she was staff. The lab coat was a giveaway. That and a lot of them had come to see him today. A constant barrage of interruptions designed to keep him from completing his job.  
It had been particularly tedious. 'Did you know the computers aren't working?' 'Here's a report sir.' 'Are the computers working yet?' 'Need you to sign for this.' 'Here to fix the computers' 'Computers are working again, but I can't find my file!' and so on. For a group of, supposedly, independent thinking experts in their field, they needed a lot of prodding and nannying. _Stupid apes, the lot of them.  
_  
"About my report?" She suddenly prompted, gesturing to the document on his table.

The Master gazed at the cover. "Well…Professor Fry. Or is it Nicola?"

"Either's fine with me, sir." She said.

"Ok, Nicola." The Master said. He briefly glanced through the document. Not that he really needed to- she was after more money. Every department was always looking for a handout. Normally, he'd just say, 'I'll see what I can do', or if it was someone he didn't like, 'I'm not made of money.'  
But this was different. He saw she was one of his many 'co. project managers'- and she was making good progress on reverse engineering the energy shields of the ship. She'd taken a few steps he'd never have dreamed of doing, but it got the results.

_Then again, for all their faults, this race has a lot of imagination. Which will be… advantageous._  
He glanced up. He could tell she was trying not to appear intimidated. But she wasn't doing a convincing job of it. The urge to smirk came to mind. But no, he decided he'd have a little fun at her expense. It would help elevate some of his boredom.

"Something wrong Professor?" He said, relishing in her discomfort.

"Just anxious to hear what you say sir." She responded.

"Why anxious?" He added, as he carefully turned the page. "Is there a problem?"

Professor Fry fidgeted slightly. "Oh, no problem sir. It's…"

The Master looked up at her expectantly.

"Nothing sir." She lied. She knew better then to tell her boss the horror stories she'd heard- about how 'ruthless' he was. _Stupid gossip. _Granted, the number of people who were fired or 'reassigned' since he'd taken over was unusual. But Nicola didn't see anything wrong with that. It just showed he had high standards.  
Nevertheless, there was something…unsettling about him. His eyes. Even when he was being polite, there was that distant coldness in them. A look that suggested as soon as you outlived your usefulness…  
_Stop staring!_ Nicola chastised herself, so she looked around the room. The furnishings were seemingly designed to keep people on their toes. For example that…thing on his desk. It looked like a metal ball with spikes on it. _Most unusual. _

"Oh, you like the paperweight?" He said in a friendly manner.

She glanced up and nodded. "It's quite," she struggled to think of a way to put it, "novel."

"Yeah, not many like it." He said. "Same way, not many scientists like you in this place." He held the paper aloft. "Excellent work professor. You'll get the money you need."

He then gave her an ominous look. "Just… keep it up. Don't disappoint me."

"Thank you sir," Nicola responded. She nodded politely, as she got up, and got out of the room as quickly as possible.

"Anytime." The Master grinned, glad she was gone. Hopefully that would give him time to do a little research…

But suddenly there was another knock at his door. The Master cringed as he recognised the rather portly figure. He thought that earlier phone-call had been enough to deter him. But, no, there he was; Joseph Collinson. By no means the renegade Timelord's greatest enemy, but one of the most nauseating.  
It all stemmed from the fact that he had the seat on the council that Collinson, in his pathetic little mind, felt was rightly his. The Master thought by continually giving him small and essentially pointless projects to run, the dolt would eventually get the message and go away. But he wouldn't.  
Collinson yanked the door, trying to pull it open. But as it was a push door, it didn't budge. The Master bit his tongue. _And you wonder why I got the job. Technical genius, but all the sense of a doorstop._ Eventually, he worked out this problem and waddled into the room.

"Hello Joe." The Master grinned. He knew how much it irritated the self-important pretentious nitwit when people shortened his name. "How are things?"

"Drop it Harry." Collinson sneered, his beady little eyes narrowing already. "You know what this is about."

The Master could tell that he wasn't going to get rid of the pest anytime soon. He glanced at his watch. _This is gonna be a long one. _

As The Doctor and Donna walked along the corridor, she discreetly passed him the key card.

"Ninth floor, room fourteen." She whispered, her voice straight and to the point. The Doctor was about to thank her, but without warning Donna turned and made her way towards the lift, never looking back.  
The Doctor was slightly taken aback. He wondered if there was something wrong. _Probably not. Should probably not interfere. Yeah, like that's ever stopped me before._ He saw she was now at the lift. _Better hurry. _

_Come on! _Donna cursed as she repeatedly tapped the button to her floor. When that didn't work, she tried the door-close button. But it wasn't fast enough, as soon John was in the lift with her.

"Alright?" The Doctor asked politely. Donna didn't respond. He noticed her eyes dart around the space, trying to look anywhere but at him. There was something different about her body language. Earlier, she'd been so determined, so certain. But now, she seemed a bit timid. He knew what was wrong. _He's got to her._

"You won't have long." She suddenly said, "Harry's not an idiot, he's bound to notice, sooner rather than later, that his card's gone. He'll report it missing." She glanced at him briefly, "So be quick." She then turned away again. "I'm not helping you anymore. So if you get caught, you're on your own."

Alarm overcame The Doctor. He was maybe a day, possibly less, away from being able to finally put things right. He couldn't lose her now. Unknown to Donna, he reached inside his pocket, and pressed the sonic screwdriver, making it slow the lift down considerably.

Donna looked around confused. She could have sworn she'd heard something. _Oh great, now I'm hearing things. Like I don't have enough on my plate. What the hell was I thinking? I really could lose my job over this. And for what?  
_

The Doctor gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Donna, listen-"But she shrugged him off. He was about to speak again, when Donna threw her hand up.

"No, YOU listen to me, John Smith." She still wasn't looking at him. She knew he was going to try and talk her into something. And frankly, she was getting really rather tired of being told what to do, how to feel, who to trust.  
_I'm not a child for God's sake! _She could feel a slight migraine coming on. She clutched her head. _Urgh! That's it! I can't take much more of this. Time to put my foot down._

The Doctor saw Donna clutch her head, and automatically he feared the worst. He was too late. _No, not now! Please! _

"Donna!" He exclaimed as he grabbed her. Donna shoved him away.

"Oi, get off!" She snapped. _What's with him? Bloody weirdo._ She had to resist the urge to deck him. _What, does he think I'll spontaneously combust if he's not around? Talk about an ego.  
_

"You feeling alright? Can I get you anything?"

Donna gazed at the ceiling. _You can get stuffed! _But then, a thought occurred to her.

"Proof." She muttered. So quietly, The Doctor wasn't sure if he'd heard her right.

"Pardon?"

"I want evidence John." Donna said stridently. "Definite, solid proof. Got that?"

"Yeah…" The Doctor said. While he'd had arguments with her before, he never could get used to how intense Donna's temper was. He decided for the moment, it would be safe not to say anything to agitate her further. Without warning, she spun round and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Good." She said, making it sound more like a threat. "Because I am sick of relying just on words! All I've got are two bitter ex. friends slagging each other off like a couple of kids. 'He's bad.' 'No he's bad.' 'He's just using you.' 'I need you.' It's… doing my head in!"

The Doctor was about to point out you can need someone without loving them. But judging from Donna's mood, that was a recipe for a slapping. If not worse. But he knew he had to snap her out of this.

He cleared his throat. "Point made. Find evidence, got it."  
But that didn't seem to do the job. Donna still looked at him sulkily. And he was beginning to get aggravated. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and fixed her with a stare.

"Look, I'm trying to help! While I can't imagine what you're going through-"

"Of course you can't." Donna hissed. Only then did The Doctor realise that her eyes were trying to fight back the cold sting of tears. "You CAN'T know how I'm feeling! Because you don't know me!"

The Doctor stopped dead. It was as though Donna had just delivered a knock-out blow. He was, for once, lost for words.

Donna took a deep breath, to try and stay calm. She was also trying to find the right words for what she wanted to say. She didn't want to be cruel, but at the same time, she had to set the record straight for John.

"And that's something I don't get." She began. "Here I am, risking everything- my job, the first stable relationship I've had in ages… for a stranger. Someone I've met a grand total of twice before today. I mean… I don't really know anything about you John. You're…alien to me. That's what you are. An alien."

The Doctor nodded, although his hearts were breaking to hear that's how Donna saw him. Not even Martian Boy or Spaceman, just… alien. This was a sobering reminder of what he'd done to her. And that pain was intensified, as yet again, Donna was hurting because of him.  
He placed his hands gently on Donna's shoulders. He half expected her to pull away. But she didn't. Instead, she looked him right in the eyes.

"I will find you proof." He reiterated determinedly. "I promise."

Donna saw the honesty in John's eyes. Oh, if only there was some slight hint that he was acting, then things would be so much easier.

'Good." She responded, with conviction. She then grinned. "You can let go now."

She noticed a flicker of hesitation appear in John's eyes.

"So-sorry." He said bashfully. "I just, um…"

Donna smirked. He actually was cute when he was flustered. Well…cuteish. Not that she'd ever tell him that. It was the way his eyes widened, his words turned to mush…good to know she hadn't lost her touch. She decided a bit more teasing was in order.

"What?" She said deviously, as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

The Doctor was stunned. Not just by Donna's sudden touch, but by the fact his hearts leapt up when it happened. _No, she, she's just a friend._

"I- I wanted to…" He stammered.

"Comfort me?" Donna asked, putting emphasis on the comfort part, as she leaned into his face.

Those words made The Doctor's body react in a way he never, ever expected. _JUST A FRIEND! _He protested. He really hoped Donna wasn't going to try and hug him. He tried to concentrate on something else: _Desiderius Erasmus was born October 27th,1466. His works included the satirical 'In Praise of Folly'…_

Donna suddenly pulled away. "Only joking." She said. "After all, don't know you." But her tone was much more relaxed, friendly.

The Doctor sighed. Although…parts of him were disappointed. A crazy thought that just entered his head. And before his brain had a chance to kick in, his mouth went to work.

"Well…" He began, as he clasped his hands behind his back. Then he paused. _No, it's a stupid idea_.

"Well what?" Donna asked, as she tilted her head.

The Doctor grimaced. He was caught now. He could either tell her to forget it, in which case she'll hound him, or he could soldier on. He stepped back from Donna.

"Promise you won't hit me?" He asked anxiously. Why am I acting like this?

Donna folded her arms, as an amused grin began to appear on her face. _Not very good at this, are you Johnny?  
_

"I repeat: Well what?"

The Doctor fidgeted. All of a sudden, the room seemed much smaller, and he was feeling short of breath. It was hard to think of the right words under this sort of pressure.

"Don't take this the wrong way," He began, "But you're right." _It never hurts to say she's right. _"We've not really gotten a chance, um, to, talk and, well, get to really, know each other. I mean, properly. So, um, I was thinking, that is if it's alright with you, and if it's not, I COMPLETELY understand, but…"

Donna's eyes widened. _Is he? He is!_

"You're asking me out!" She exclaimed.

"No!" The Doctor said, "Well, yeah, I suppose," before he quickly added, "But just as friends!"

The Doctor cringed, and prepared himself for the slap of a lifetime. But to his surprise, it didn't come. He opened one eye cautiously. Donna was looking at him oddly.

Because she was running through a strange mixture of different emotions. Part of her thought he was a cheeky sod, and wanted to smack him. _What sort of man slags off a woman's boyfriend, then had the temerity to ask her out?_ Then there was slight admiration- he had to be either very brave or stupid to pull a stunt like this. And then there was amusement. Maybe granddad was right. Maybe John was taken with her. Perhaps this was his very clumsy way of stealing her from Harry.

She mulled over his proposal. It *would* be a good way to know him a bit better. _And alright, he's not my usual sort, but I'll take it.  
_  
"Alright then." She answered.

Relief washed over The Doctor's face. Suddenly, he could breathe again.

"Really?" He said jubilantly.

Donna turned serious. "On one condition…" She said sternly. "Evidence. GENUINE evidence by the way. Anything solid."

The Doctor nodded. That was just one extra bit of motivation he needed.

Donna began to rummage in her pockets. "Here's a few things to get you started." To his astonishment, she produced The Master's laser screwdriver.

"Oh, and here- found this as well. Seems to be in a weird code." She flipped through it casually. The Doctor gaped in amazement. From the little he could see, it was Gallifreyian. The Master's personal notes. Maybe this'd tell him exactly what mad scheme his archenemy was up to.

"Oh, you're brilliant!" He exclaimed gratefully, as he threw his arms around Donna. T_his is incredible. _Yet again, without realising it she'd helped him in ways he never imagined.

Donna was surprised by the hug. But even more surprised when she felt…something poke into her. She breathed in sharply and gazed at him with mock outrage.

"John Smith, you… dirty bugger!" She exclaimed. But inwardly she was delighted to know, even at forty years old, she still had it.

_Shit! _The Doctor thought, as he let go of Donna. _Now I'm dead._ He was about to stammer out an apology, when Donna pointed to the objects she'd given him.

"So I take it those will be useful."

He nodded. "Just one problem. I'm gonna have to wait till later before I go snooping. They're probably already wondering what's taking me so long."

"Fair enough." Donna observed. "Meanwhile, Harry's taking me out to dinner tonight. I figured if I get him alone, I can get him a bit soused, see if he slips up."

The Doctor hesitated. While it was difficult, he resisted the temptation to shout, scream, protest. The thought of Donna alone with The Master frightened him to death. Oh, he was indignant that she could be so reckless and… well, Donna-like. But he didn't want to stir the preverbal hornet's nest that was Donna's anger. He looked down at the things she'd found for him. If he was lucky, not having the laser screwdriver would ensure she was safe for now. He hoped.

"Be careful." He said genuinely.

"I will be." Donna said with authority. She couldn't help feel touched by John's concern. But… at least he didn't try to stop her. Showed he trusted her. So, for the moment, she'd show him a little in return.  
Finally, the lift stopped. "Blimey, took it's time." Donna quipped. She turned to The Doctor one last time. "Remember- get proof. Oh and John?"

"Yes?"

"Might I suggest a cold shower?"

The Doctor couldn't help but grin as she left. He reluctantly unsoniced the lift, and pressed it to return to the induction. _Oh Joy._

Unknown to The Doctor, the same thought was running through The Master's mind, as the rambling oaf before him continued to air his grievances. Suddenly the drums weren't so bad after all.

"It's ridiculous Harry!" Collinson spat, literally. "How am I meant to make progress, when you keep diverting funds to your own pet projects?"

The Master just grinned. _You're not. _

For the first time since he entered the room, Collinson paused to take a breath. The Master half-expected him to keel over. And half-hoped it as well. Would make things easier. But no, he just flopped down in a chair.

"Easy there big boy." The Master said with great relish. Because despite the fact he seemed to be on a strict diet of cake and mars bars, poor Joe was a bit sensitive about his weight.

The Master got up, and started to walk around the room. "You know Joe, you're an intelligent man. And you've been here longer than I have."

He then glanced at him. "Which is why it surprises me that you still don't understand how things work around here. My 'pet project' as you call it, is one of, if not THE, biggest scientific discoveries in recent years."

He pointed to outside the office. "Right now, a dedicated team of men and women are busy unlocking new knowledge, discovering things about alien technology that could, no, WILL change the world."

The Master then looked at Collinson again, and smiled sympathetically. "I think that takes priority."

Collinson simply rolled his eyes and made a 'tsk' noise. That was often his strategy- huffing and sulking until he got his way. There was actually a name for this tactic in the business- The tank. It aggravated The Master no end. He could honestly say he'd had more intellectually stimulating debates with five year olds.  
He had read somewhere the best means of dealing with such an individual was to remain calm and make them see reason. The Master figured it would be worth a try. _If not, then I'll just do things the old fashioned way.  
_  
"It's not just your work that's been affected you know." He said evenly.

"I know that!" Collinson fumed, as he leapt to his feet. "I'm not the only person who's frustrated! We've all had enough!"

_So much for that approach._ The Master thought. He leaned against his desk, and gave a piercing look looked right to Collinson's pupils.

"Oh," He sneered, no longer trying to mask his contempt. "Well how come you're the only person here?"

He looked over Collinson's shoulder, as if to check for others. "Nope, only you. Just one man, making empty threats."

"I'll do more than threaten." Collinson said. "I'm not afraid of you."

The Master pulled a face. _You should be. If only you knew who you were dealing with. _He stood up straight, and spread his arms out. _Let's see if he has the courage of his convictions.  
_  
"OK Joe, I'll give you a free shot. Go on then. Do your worst!"

Collinson hesitated. He wasn't an idiot. Much as he'd love to wipe that smirk off of Jones' face, he didn't want to get fired, or worse, prosecuted.

"What's wrong Joe?" The Master taunted, "Don't want to look me in the eyes?" He then turned his back towards him, arms still spread. "This suit you better?"

The Master waited a moment, to see if Collinson would try anything. But the lout didn't stir. The Master twirled around, a triumphant grin on his face. He was proud of the way he'd established his supremacy. Now the buffoon realised just how powerless he was.

"Just as I thought." He remarked, as he walked back towards his seat. "That's your problem, Joe. All talk but no action."

Collinson took a few deep breaths. "I'll tell." He said coolly.

The Master had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. It would be funny, except for the dead serious look in Collinson's eyes. _He is utterly pathetic. _

"I'm sorry?" He said derisively, as he sat down again.

"I'll tell everyone. Papers, politicians, anyone who'd listen. I'll say to them exactly what it was that we found."

The Master scoffed. _Idiot._ He put a hand to his chin.

"Hmm." He rubbed his chin in feigned concentration. "Tell me this Joe. Do you think, given how quickly people forgot that a spaceship crashed in Big Ben, or that stuff with the Toclafane, they'll listen to you?"

"Bu- but what about…"

"Joe," The Master said as he leaned back in his seat. "You know as well as I do that even now, there are people claiming Earth didn't move. It's a condition you know. Sunnydale Syndrome- where people just block out the unusual, ignore all the evidence."

He went to open his top drawer. But then he looked up. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. You don't have any." Although he knew Collinson would probably say something stupid like, 'I'll find some.' _Honestly, he's so predictable._

"I'll find some." Collinson said defiantly.

"Well…good luck with that." The Master said dismissively, as he opened the drawer. "If you don't mi-"

He froze as he glanced down. Even the drums seemed to grind to a halt. There was nothing in the drawer. His screwdriver, his notepad… had all vanished! His precious work had been stolen! But who…He glanced up at Collinson. Of course, when he had his back turned. _Son of a…_

Collinson looked confused. But he had no time to ask what was wrong. There was no warning, no angry cry, no threats, no time to react. The Master leapt to his feet. His hand instinctively snatched the paperweight, and took a ferocious swing at Collinson's head. In an instant, one of the spikes pierced the skull, and lodged itself directly into his brain. But The Master didn't relent. He pulled out viciously, before he bashed it against Collinson's head again, and then another time, just for good measure. Collinson's body slumped to the ground.

The Master shivered with delight at the sight before him. True, it was making a mess of the carpet, but it felt so incredibly satisfying. If only he could get away with it, he'd like to keep it in his office. A warning to all who crossed him. But it wouldn't be good for Employer/Employee relations.

Firstly, he returned to his desk and threw the weapon into his drawer. He'd dispose of it properly later. But then, he hesitantly turned back towards the carcass. _This is gonna be fun. _

Carefully, he grabbed one arm, and slowly began to drag the bulky body across the room, cursing all the way.

"Not making this easy for me, are you?" He said through gritted teeth. Thankfully, he was at the entrance to his hidden chamber. He swept his hand over it, and eventually, he got the corpse in. He'd dispose of it later too. But at least it was out of sight.

He reached down to reclaim his items, quickly rummaging in Collinson's pockets. And that was when The Master realised something was wrong. Very badly wrong. Collinson's pockets were empty. _But, but who…where…why?_ He stopped himself. No point getting worked up. He'd find the culprit, or culprits soon enough. And when he did… someone was going to die.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the day was an exercise in patience. And contrary to what some believed, The Doctor was a patient man. That is when the occasion called for it. If nothing else, it meant that when the inevitable quarrel with The Master arose, he'd have an alibi stronger than a Cyberman's grip.

To his relief, the induction had finally ended and work proper now began. He was a little bit anxious, as he hadn't any idea what a 'Data entry operator' actually did. But it turned out to be nothing daunting: mostly compiling reports and 'other clerical duties'. Nothing he couldn't handle. _I might not be supertemp, but I know my way round a computer._ And better yet, he surmised this would be a very useful way of gathering information.

Granted, he knew The Master wouldn't be stupid enough to leave a file named 'Project Overlord' lying around the network. However, whatever 'Harry Jones' was working on *did* have an awful lot of co. project managers working on a lot of different items. And they would need a lot of their documents typed up. He'd only be too happy to help. It would help him narrow down the field of what technology The Master was using with, and once he knew that, he'd know how to defeat him.

He alternated between that and also consulting with The Master's own personal notes, which reflected their author's personality entirely. One moment they would be clear and focussed, the next reduced to incoherent babbling.

But from it, he was able to learn a few critical things. A few of the reports he'd read would mention certain projects/items being reassigned to division M. While he had his suspicions, the notes confirmed 'Division M' was simply The Master's personal vault. _**Makes gathering resources simpler- so much that could be useful for future plans.  
**_  
That sent a chill up The Doctor's spine. Stock-piling. The Master was like a magpie, gathering anything he could use as part of his wider plans. But, from what he gathered, it was actually somewhere in the building, certainly somewhere close by. If he could find it, that would be more than enough to prove to Donna he was telling the truth.

He also learned that The Master's files (which Donna had sent him earlier), had a back-door built in, which triggered at level 15. He knew this as The Master had written his passwords onto the notepad. The Doctor grinned, at least this was something. Only trouble would be knowing what file triggered the backdoor. Knowing The Master's twisted sense of humour, he'd probably made it something perfectly innocent.

Donna glanced cautiously. Thankfully, Harry was still out of the office. With that in mind, she took her laptop out, and logged on. She put her USB stick in and brought up Harry's folder. She wasn't sure what she'd hoped to find. She idly clicked on one icon.  
To her surprise, one of those 'brain-training' puzzle games popped up. She was about to close it… but she reckoned there'd be no harm in trying it. And besides, she liked a challenge now and again.

In his hidden chamber, The Master sat and contemplated his next move. It hadn't taken him long to figure out what had happened. After all, there was only one person he knew that would be interested in those items. The same person who had made his life a constant agony for the last number of centuries. While he wasn't exactly sure how he'd done it, once again The Doctor had to intrude and try to sabotage his plans.

The dark and twisted terrain of his mind was torn in two as a battle raged. Reason versus instinct. Logic battling emotion. The desire to maintain control struggled to silence the cry for vengeance. He was tempted to hunt The Doctor down, thrash him to within an inch of his life, and then take back what was rightfully his.

But, amazingly, he found he had more sense than that. It would ruin everything. Although, there was another way of confronting the pest. He picked up the telephone receiver, and started to dial.

Donna beamed with pride. She'd only been playing for a short time and she was already on level ten. _And who says I'm stupid, eh?_

The phone on the desk suddenly came alive. The Doctor rolled his eyes, as he had a fairly good idea who it was. He glanced at the screen on the phone. Sure enough, it read 'H. Jones.' He left the phone for a moment. That ought to annoy him. After it had rung for a third time, he picked up.

"Hello data entry, how can I help?" He said cheerfully.

"You can give me back my things you thieving bastard!" The Master said snidely.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor said loudly, "Can't hear you, it's a bad line!"

"I wouldn't advise trying my patience Doctor!"

"Sorry, terrible amount of noise here, busy office. Can you ring back later?!"

Before there was a response, he slammed the receiver down.

The Master rolled his eyes. How mature. Luckily, 'John Smith' had provided a mobile number. He dialled as fast as his fingers could manage.

The Doctor felt the phone vibrate in his pocket. Oh well, might as well get this done with. He logged off and made his way to the kitchen/lunch area of the office, as there was a bit more privacy there. He pressed the button to receive the call. Before he could say anything, The Master spoke up.

"Oh how brave, how gallant you are." The Master said as he got up from his seat. "First you rob me then you hang up on me."

"Dunno what you mean." The Doctor said in a puzzled manner. "I didn't rob you."

"Oh, spare me the 'hapless, loveable idiot' act!" The Master ordered, "The only people who buy that nonsense are naive morons like Donna No-."

"Don't finish that sentence." The Doctor said coldly.  
The Master paused. Once again, The Doctor's feelings for his companion seemed to be getting the better of him. Perhaps he could use that as a weapon.

"Aw, how sweet." He said mockingly. "You thought stealing those things would help protect poor ickle Donna. Can't say I blame you. After all, she can't look after herself, can she?"

The Doctor faked a yawn. "Not gonna work. Donna's worth ten of you any day."

The Master cackled at that preposterous remark. As if anyone measured up when compared to him. On a bad day he'd admit The Doctor… was close. But to suggest that a human, particularly THAT one was better than him was just comical. And what made it funnier was the wretched sincerity in The Doctor's voice.

"Dear me I didn't realise it was THAT bad." He chuckled.

"What?" The Doctor queried.

"Your loneliness." The Master said, wiping a tear away. "Your desperation for some sort of company. I mean, your life must-"

Despite The Master's blatant, cruel attempts to play on his emotions The Doctor remained composed. He simply hung up. He couldn't allow anything The Master said distract him. He had to remain focussed. For her sake.

The Master was stunned as the dial-tone echoed. He'd expected The Doctor to leap to Donna's defence, giving another nauseating sermon. He could hear it now: _You're wrong. Donna's my bestest friend ever, and if everyone had a friend like her, then life would just be fantastic and brilliant_… But The Doctor had just stone-walled him.  
This unsettled him greatly. Was he losing his touch? He quickly hit redial. He was on hold for a long time.

_Pick up the phone you son of a_…. He began, trying to stop himself from cracking up.

The Doctor figured he'd kept The Master waiting long enough. He answered.

"You again?" He said bitterly. "You know, I am getting sick of this whole routine."

"So give me my stuff back then." The Master sniped.

"I've already told you, I've not taken a thing."

"CUT THE CRAP!" The Master yelled. "Who else could it be?!"

"I was at the induction in the morning and at work all afternoon. If you don't believe me, ask anyone."

"Sure." The Master grunted cynically. Because if that was true, he knew it would be possible The Doctor could have just used his TARDIS to cross his own timeline and break in. It wasn't as though he hadn't bent the laws of time when it suited his own needs before. _He'd do anything for his friends. Hey, there's a thought.  
_  
"I'll give you a choice." He proposed.

"Not interested." The Doctor said abruptly, as he ended the call. For good measure, he also turned the phone off. After all, there was work to be done.

Agitatedly, The Master dialled again. He got through to the voicemail. _That disrespectful_… He was about to hang-up, but hesitated. He couldn't let The Doctor think he'd won.

"You know, I was going to offer to help you." He began in a reasonable tone of voice. "It would have been beautiful. Us working together, me getting what I wanted and you getting your treasured dearest darling Donna back to being 'her old self.' Everyone could have been happy, and no-one would have died."

He paused for dramatic effect. "But, no, you couldn't get off your high-horse for once in your life! And now you've ruined it." He said with cool indignation. "Now, all bets are off. You know, it's terrific that you care so much about little Donna. Because it'll make what I'm going to do to her that little bit more satisfying."

He could see the image before him now. The pitiable, anguished Lonely God cradling the rotted remains of her used shell. The Oncoming Storm, wailing like a banshee about the fate of his best friend. The Master couldn't wait to make it a reality. Because maybe after having his hearts stomped on for the umpteenth time, The Doctor would finally stop interfering, and he will at long last have his moment of glory.

"I mean, that… woman represents everything wrong with this world. Brainless. Narrow-minded. Tedious. I'll be doing the world a favour if you ask me."

He chortled. "I mean, you do realise you're the only person who'll miss her? Well, you and her crazy granddad, but …other than that? No-one. Because I know her, she doesn't have any REAL friends. Even her own mother hates her."

A thought struck him. "Hey, maybe *that's* the reason you're so fond of her. Because she's the only other person whose life's almost as wretched as your own. Hmm, who's more pathetic- the woman content to waste her life in mediocrity, or the man wasting his life with his laughable and ultimately futile efforts to help people, when it only brings him heartache and ruin? "

He cackled a bit more, proud at that observation.

"Anyway, can't hang about all day. Me and dippy dim Donna have a dinner date. And by the time  
I'm finished charming her, she won't give you the time of day. So go ahead. Try and blacken my name. Scurry around like the little goody two-shoes you are, trying to 'save' everybody. Because at the end of the day, I'm going to be the winner."

Having vented, The Master hung up. Now what to do? He supposed he could check The Doctor's story out. See how true, if any of it, was.

Donna was getting irritated. She'd got up to level 14, and she only had one life left. And worst of all, the time-limit was running out. She didn't come this far just to lose. At the last possible second, she completed it.

To her amazement, instead of the next level, a black-screen appeared. The text read, "Welcome Master. Enter password."

Donna was puzzled. Was this a bonus level or something? _No, don't be stupid._ She realised- this must be where Harry's extra-secret stuff was hidden. If only she knew the password…  
Without warning, Donna heard a noise. Cautiously, she shut her laptop and went back to typing something on her work computer. She glanced up briefly to see Harry making his way back to his desk. Which was weird, as she couldn't remember him leaving his office. Or even coming back into it. Now that she'd thought about it… that did happen a lot. Something else she might need to quiz him about later. Or failing that, let John know about.  
The Master saw Donna looking at him. He grinned politely, as he dialled the number to Human Resources.  
Once he'd managed to get Emily to shut up for a few minutes, he asked her about the induction.

"Oh, it went rather well." She beamed.

"No… deserters?" He quizzed.

"Nope, everyone stayed right to the end."

Crap. He WAS telling the truth.

"Nothing… unusual?" He asked vaguely.

"Well," Emily said, "John Smith had to leave at one point, bu-"

"What was that?" The Master interrupted.

"Yeah, he had to fill out a form, or something. Ask Donna, he left with her."

The Master paused. Suddenly… everything made sense. Donna's argument with him, her temper tantrum. It was a distraction. Donna had out smarted him.  
For the second time that day, The Master burst out laughing.

"Are you Ok sir?" Emily asked.

But he hung up, as he continued to laugh. He looked at Donna, in amazement. So much for her being brainless. She'd played him like a fiddle. Obviously, he'd severely underestimated her.

He sighed. This was going to make things a lot more complicated.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **Journey's end in lovers meeting  
**Part** 9/?  
**Author**: adroidmortox247  
**Characters:** The Doctor, Donna, The Master and others  
**Genre:** General  
**Summary:** Getting ready for the night ahead…  
**Spoilers:** post Journey's End  
**author's note:** Thanks to shining-moment, katherine b, nschick, time_converges, hp-chloe and gregorypeck for their help/input.

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's. I suppose I should point out the TARDIS mobile was pilfered from Paul Cornell's _Scream of the Shalka_.

**Rating:** PG due to swearing

Donna looked up. She could have sworn she'd heard something. _Blimey I'm getting paranoid. I'll be scared of my own shadow next._

For an inexplicable reason, she got the image of her and John running away from a killer shadow. And it was in a library, for whatever reason. She dismissed the… ludicrous thought and turned around. Harry was trying, and failing, to compose himself. She couldn't tell if he was laughing, or crying, or something in between.

Donna took a bit of solace in the fact it seemingly wasn't just her going a bit mad lately. A quick thought struck her. Now was her chance to get in touch with John. She took out her mobile phone, and dialled his work number. Better to use the mobile- that way, she could just delete the call record afterwards.

***********************************

The working day may have been drawing to a close, but for The Doctor, the real work was about to begin. He had a lot to do: for one thing, undoing the isomorphic controls on The Master's laser screwdriver. Then he'd need to see if he could find that 'backdoor' the notepad referred to. And then…

Before these thoughts could continue, his work-phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Not got much time." A familiar female voice whispered urgently. "Got something to tell you…meet me at the car after work."

The Doctor's attention perked up. Donna might have found another clue.

"See you there then." He replied quickly.

*******************

The brief moment of amusement had passed. Once more that familiar sensation of dread welled up inside The Master. He'd really painted himself into a corner this time. He could feel Donna slipping out of his reach. How much did she know? Had the Doctor reached the part of her that subconsciously remembered him? Or had she already been suspecting something and The Doctor merely poured fuel on the fire?

But he realised that panicking wasn't going to solve anything. After all, it was fear that partly accounted for this situation in the first place. It could have been avoided easily- he just needed to bide his time, build up his resources and deal with… the situation at a later time.

However, despite his best efforts, he found himself incapable of just waiting. He was… incomplete. He needed help. So the first time he sensed what he thought was The Doctor, he threw caution to the wind. Which resulted in this whole stupid run-around with Donna.

And even *that* could have been dealt with simply. For instance… he could have just waited until he developed the technology before he approached Donna. That way, all he could have done was a quick zap, steal the memories and go. Or, failing that he could have kidnapped her, kept her captive while he perfected the technology and *then* taken them.

But no… he was too curious. He wanted to examine her close up, see what effects the metacrisis had on her. And… he'd wanted to play with The Doctor's feelings. Which, he should have realised, was like a red-rag to a bull.

_Bulls are colour blind. _A voice in his head corrected.

_It's a figure of speech! _Another voice argued back defensively.

He clasped his head. This wasn't getting him anywhere. He told himself the situation wasn't entirely lost yet. Tonight, with Donna was a chance to put things right. Regain her trust. He'd managed to do that before.

_But what about The Doctor? _Another voice argued. _He has access to your lab. _

Well, that was one that was dealt with simply enough. He picked up the phone and dialled down to his lab.

"Doctor Jones here," He said, "I know this is last minute… but I need security doubled around the building tonight. Don't want a repeat of today's troubles."

He put the phone down before there was any room for argument. That should at least slow The Doctor down a bit. And besides, most of the really important stuff wasn't even in his laboratory.

_Very good… but wouldn't he know about Division M? _

The Master desperately tried to recall his notes. To his relief, he remembered while he had mentioned it in passing, he hadn't said where it was. An idea began to grow… He looked at his watch. A lot of work, and not much time to do it in.

"Oh well, they say genius is one percent inspiration, ninety nine percent perspiration."

******************************************

Donna waited for John impatiently, drumming her hands against the wheel. _Some time today's be nice. _She thought sarcastically to herself. Maybe she should get his mobile number- it'd make things a bit easier.

Eventually, he approached the window and wrapped gently.

Donna wound the window down.

"Coke and a double cheeseburger please." She deadpanned.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile slightly.

"So, what's the news?" he inquired.

Donna briefly explained about the puzzle game. The Doctor's face turned serious. That had to be the backdoor. Finally, some answers, the proof that Donna would be looking for.

He turned, and was about to leave, when suddenly the horn blared. He turned back around. Donna frowned at him.

"I'm not finished yet!" She chastised.

The Doctor walked back towards her.

"Look, I'm busy…" He said.

"What's your number?" Donna asked.

"Why do you want my number?" He questioned.

"Suppose you're right, and Harry tries something tonight?" Donna responded. "Or… if you find something, or I dunno, to avoid having to meet up like this all the time? Well?"

The Doctor paused. She had a point. He produced the TARDIS mobile, and turned it back on. He saw there was one voicemail message.

Donna sighed. She was about to say something to John, when he put his hand up. He listened intently to… whatever the message was. Donna saw the colour drain from his face, and his shoulders tighten as it continued.

"John?" She asked worriedly.

John looked to her and grinned. "Oh sorry…" He said politely. "I'll just text you it now."

"Everything alright?" Donna asked.

"Oh yeah…" He said, clearly lying.

The Doctor hated lying to Donna, but he felt this was for the best. While that call from The Master would be more than enough proof that he was up to something, he didn't want Donna's feelings to be hurt. Again.

"And by yeah, you mean no." She said bitingly.

John hesitated. "Listen Donna, I've not got time now…"

Before he could react, Donna reached over and grabbed his phone from his hand. She rapidly hit the button to replay the message. _How bad could it be? _She reasoned to herself.

She listened on - at first with a sense of confusion. What the hell was Harry talking about with 'helping you', getting what he wanted and most confusingly, saying John could have got his 'treasured darling Donna back'? But she didn't have much time to process this, before she heard the words that shook her to the core.

"_**You know, it's terrific that you care so much about little Donna. Because it'll make what I'm going to do to her that little bit more satisfying."**_

That was only the beginning of his rancorous, hate-ridden spiel. Old insecurities flared up in Donna as Harry's rant continued- he was right. She had no real friends. But her mum… she seemed happy for her. Or was that just relief that she didn't have to put up with her screw up of a daughter anymore?

Her feelings of heartache soon turned to anger. How could she have been so stupid? She should have seen this coming. One moment temping as usual, next she had a job, a boyfriend…warning bells should have flared up. Life was never that kind to her. It was all too good to be true. But no, like the idiot she was, she'd fallen for it.

She hadn't felt this heartbroken since… since…

" _**God, she's thick! Months I've had to put up with her, months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map!" **_

Lance. She hadn't even thought about her ex-fiancée in ages. She should have learnt from that bitter experience. But no, she'd allowed herself to be manipulated yet again. No-one truly cared about her.

_No… that's not true. _The details were hazy but… she remembered there was someone else there. Someone who protected her. If only she could remember…

"_**Anyway, can't hang about all day. Me and dippy dim Donna have a dinner date. And by the time I'm finished charming her, she won't give you the time of day." **_

_That's what you think. _Donna thought doggedly. Her anger than turned entirely towards Harry. She'd show him just what 'dippy dim Donna' was capable of.

"Donna?" A voice asked softly.

Donna turned to John- who had a troubled look in his eyes. It was strange… but he reminded her of someone. Of… of the person with her that Christmas. _Could it be? _Maybe something to ask him about at another time. In fact…

She smiled at him politely.

"Well…" she said, "Guess that means we're going on that date then."

John's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Remember?" Donna said sweetly, "I said I'd go out with you, if you could prove Harry was up to something. Couldn't get much more proof than that."

"Oh, of course." He said. "But… are you alright?"

"Oh… yeah." She lied.

"And by yeah, you mean no." John said knowingly.

Donna closed her eyes. The last thing she needed now was someone else feeling sorry for her.

"I'll be alright." She remarked. "You focus on what you've got to do. Don't worry about me."

The Doctor was about to say he can't help worrying about her. But he stopped himself. Now wasn't the time.

"You got my number?" He asked.

Donna entered the digits into her own phone, then handed it back to John. She was surprised as John suddenly grabbed hold of her hand.

"If anything happens," he said unwaveringly, "Let me know."

Donna was about to tell him to give over., that she could fight her own battles, thank you very much.

But then she stopped. There was a…zeal that had overcome John. Gone was the clown, the man who fumbled and… got awkward with her in the lift. There was a look in his eyes, of someone who had lived a long time. Someone who had seen, and done, a lot of terrible things. And would do them again, if necessary.

"I'll be there," he continued, "In an instant. I promise."

Donna wasn't sure what to say. This sudden shift in John's mood… unsettled her slightly. But at the same time, knowing that someone would be there, someone so fervent in helping her, gave her a boost. She nodded firmly, as she started her car, and drove off.

The Doctor watched as her car disappeared from view.

_Now to get to work. _He thought. Carefully, he pressed a button on the mobile, pointing it toward an empty parking space. Within moments, the TARDIS materialised into view. He produced the laser screwdriver. He figured given the right tools, he'd be able to use it in… oooh, ten minutes? Five if he was lucky.

He entered the TARDIS, oblivious to the fact he was being watched.

********************************

"Oh, that's cheating!" The Master muttered to himself. "I mean, a phone that links up to your TARDIS? Lazy git."

But this was the least of his concerns. He checked the other monitors. Everything appeared to be in order. The only x-factor was whether or not The Doctor would rise to the bait.

_Well, that's the easy bit over with. _He thought to himself, _now for the hard part._

He racked his brain to try and devise a worthwhile strategy to winning Donna back. The fact she'd heard those things he'd said certainly made things a bit more challenging. Shame he couldn't just do his old hypnosis routine- for one, that might trigger an averse reaction. Secondly… he wanted to try and avoid wiping more of her memory. Who knew what he could lose.

_Think damn you! _He chastised himself. _It's not like this is the first time you've had to seduce someone._

But it was the first time, in such a long time there would be a struggle. Donna wasn't like the others. She was… tenacious. Spirited. Feisty.

_Yeah, so? Doesn't matter how much of a fight she puts up. Her will against mine… I'll triumph. I always do. …_

A warped grin began to form on his face. Oh, he would break her, one way or the other. And he was looking forward to tearing down those defences, making her beg and plead for mercy. Not that it ever did them any good. No-one got the better of him. Not for long, anyway.

As his mind went to work… a vision began to appear. It was hazy at first. He closed his eyes and concentrated… words began to form in his head. They said…

_**The Magic of Making up: 4 low down & dirty tricks to get your mate back!**_

The Master's eyes shot open. That was it! That information he'd downloaded earlier in the day. He rubbed his hands enthusiastically.

_Low down and dirty… sounds promising._

He found as he focussed, the rest of the document came to mind. Once that was done, he shut his eyes and focussed. _Anything on relationships… making up. _He ordered to no-one in particular. To his glee, page after page came up, as he took in their information.

_**How to win her heart back**_

_**How to romance the woman of your dreams**_

_**1001 ways to be romantic**_

Who'd have thought his little trial run would prove to be so useful? He could only begin to imagine what other interesting bits of information he'd managed to pick up, if he directed his mind on it. The possibilities were endless.

"Oh Donna…" he sighed to himself "This is going to be the best date ever."


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: **Journey's end in lovers meeting  
**Part** 10/?  
**Author**: adroidmortox247 aka bannonluke  
**Characters:** The Doctor, Donna, The Master and others  
**Genre:** General  
**Summary:** Getting ready for the night ahead…  
**Spoilers:** post Journey's End  
**author's note:** Thanks to shining-moment, katherine b, nschick, time_converges, hp-chloe and gregorypeck for their help/input.

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's.

**Rating:** PG due to swearing

After a succession of tinkering, probing and, where appropriate, hammering, The Doctor had finished his work on the laser screwdriver. True, there were some… technical troubles. But a lick of paint and no-one would notice those scorch-marks on the wall. At least it was working.

Just then a thought occurred to him. He now had a laser and a sonic screwdriver. On their own, they were pretty powerful. But together…they could speed up his efforts to alter the Bio-damper. He was torn. He wanted, no needed, to try and put things right with Donna, make sure she would be safe. It was the absolute least he owed her.

But this was soon overpowered by another calling. As important as Donna was to him, he knew he also owed it to this world, not to mention the universe, to stop whatever it was The Master was planning. He never did things small-scale. And, he'd seen first hand the absolute hell that would unfold if he let his fellow timelord go unopposed.

With that intent in mind, The Doctor left the TARDIS. No more dilly-dallying. It was time to get some answers.

****************************************

Donna was outside the restaurant. She tried to remind herself to be subtle. Let Harry trip himself up. But she could see him sitting there, that everlasting smug expression on his face. _Bollocks to that!_

He was actually checking his reflection on the back of a spoon. Then he huffed into his hand and sniffed his breath. Still, not as bad as trimming his nostril hairs. That was the last time she let her mum set up a blind-date.

Harry continued to preen. He then reached behind him and snapped a rose from a nearby floral display.

_He wouldn't. _Donna thought.

But no, he would. He proceeded to wrap the flower in a piece of cellophane he produced from his pocket. He then tied it with a ribbon from another pocket, and placed it onto what would be Donna's plate. He then sat back with a proud grin on his face.

After viewing that farce, the urge to storm in there, dump some liquid over him and slap him silly rose again. How she was going to get through this dinner? Pretending not to know what he really thought of her was turning out to be harder then she thought. Did he honestly think she was that shallow?

_Come on, you can do this. _She told herself. She'd bull-shitted her way through dates, interviews, and life in general pretty much most of her adult life. She could get through one dinner.

She'd made her mind up. If nothing else, she'd stick him with one hell of a bill. Only the most expensive items on the menu, no matter what they were. Well, except for squid. After that dream with the snow octopus, tentacles really freaked her out.

**************************************************************

To The Doctor's relief, distracting the security guards was dead easy. He did the old 'blow up the dust-bins trick.' Once they went to investigate, he dead-locked them out of the building. They thought the door had slammed behind them. That's what they got for not taking their key cards with them.

He also screwdriver-ed the security cameras so it just showed a loop of empty corridors. Now, his first stop, The Master's lab. He knew that his nemesis would definitely have something interesting in there. He was a compulsive note-keeper. Trick was finding his computer terminal.

It was easy. All he had to do was move the desk, unseal the hidden compartment in the floor, disarm the deadly neuro-toxin emitter, then break the lock of the four boxes inside each other (watching out for the electric charge each was rigged with). That let him get the key which helped him unlock the triple barrelled safe behind 'That funny poster about the cat wanting a burger'. Of course, once that was over, he had to get to level fifteen on the puzzle game to unlock the back door into The Master's files.

"Honestly, you're not even trying these days." The Doctor muttered to himself.

He found the mother-load. He quickly skimmed through the notes. It was not what he expected at all.

_**Another day of suffering, misery and anguish. **_The entry began. _**My despair is never ending. Stranded on a back-water rock, where they still think reality television is entertainment. With one miserable life. Fast running out. I only have… fifty or sixty years left. And THAT's if I don't get mugged, run over by a bus, or killed in one of the seemingly weekly attempts by other species to overtake this planet.**_

_**I can't regenerate. I can't believe it. I would rather not be resurrected, if I have to live like this. To be… human. Correction- MOSTLY human. A genius such as mine, neither god nor ape. It is completely catastrophic.**_

The Doctor was stunned. God, this was the worst prose he'd read in a long time. Then again… the arts were never The Master's strong point. Nor modesty either.

Something occurred to The Doctor. There was… an awful lot here. And he was going to have to read it all. This called for tea, if not something stronger.

************************

The Master grinned proudly at the rose. He never understood why giving a piece of dying flora held such significance for humans. But, the guides said flowers. And confectionary. Luckily he brought a curly-whirly on the way. He placed it beside the rose.

At that time, "Love Today" by Mika filled the air. The Master bopped along for a few beats, before he took his phone out.

"Doctor Jones." He chirped.

"Sir, it's Salters." The voice on the other end said. "As you expected there was a disturbance."

"And?" The Master asked.

"Well, like you said, we came out and made sure to leave the door locked behind us. Now what?"

"Oh, not to worry. " The Master said. "Run along. Get a pizza, take the rest of the evening off. I've been expecting… trouble. And I've already taken the necessary steps."

Before there could be any further questions, he hung up.

He glanced at his watch.

_Right on time. Predictable as always Doctor._

Speaking of time, she should be here soon. The information was still running through his head. This had to work. 'Be honest' was one of the more consistent pieces of advice those pages offered. Sincerity, that was the key. If he could fake that, he was solid.

The clip of high-heels alerted him. He glanced up. Donna was sweeping towards the table, with the waiter practically trotting at her heels. He had to admit she looked…different. She was wearing a blue…thing. Not much material on top. And her eyes sort of looked bright…and she had a presence.

He hastily jumped to his feet.

"Donna," he began sweetly, "You look…"

"Divine? Don't I just?" Donna said, snatching the rose and shoved it at the hovering waiter. Before he could say anything, Donna turned and ordered.

"Get rid of this!" She ordered. "I'm allergic."

The Master looked a little deflated. Oh well, there was the chocolates.

"And I think some kid left this behind." Donna said as she picked up the half-melted bar. She then pulled her own chair out, sat down, and picked up the wine-list.

She glanced at it momentarily.

"May I recommend…" the waiter began

"No thanks." Donna said. "I'll have a bottle of bubbly, none of that cheap stuff."

"O-of course madam." The waiter said sheepishly. "And for si-"

:"Oh, he'll have one too." Donna answered.

The Master was a bit nonplussed. Then again, for the moment relinquishing power wouldn't hurt.

"Sounds good." He said. "I wouldn't mind a glass…"

"Bottle." Donna said. "I'm not sharing." She didn't trust Harry one bit.

"Well, aren't *we* the assertive one?" He muttered. Not quietly enough though.

"It's the twenty first century, Harry." Donna said bitingly. "We aren't all thick you know."

The Master heard alarm bells going off. But for the moment, he'd pretend not to notice her vile mood.

Donna was irritated. She expected some kind of response from him, so she could tear him to pieces. Oh well, she'd try again later. For the moment, she looked at the menu.

"See that page?" She said to the waiter, who'd just delivered their drinks. "I'll have all that."

That got a response. The Master looked where she was pointing. Most people would need to take a mortgage out to pay for an average meal in here. Oh well, that's where the foundation's expense account came in handy.

"All eight dishes?" Squeaked the waiter.

"I can't decide, so I'll try a little of everything." Donna said. "After all, I'm just dippy and it's so hard to concentrate on one choice."

The Master winched. This was not going to be easy.

"And for sir?" The waiter inquired.

"The house special." The Master said politely.

The waiter hurried off. He'd worked there long enough to sense when an explosion was imminent.

"Donna…" The Master said, reaching across the table, to try and take her hand. Donna raised a fork with a gleam in her eye. He hastily withdrew it.

"I'm looking forward to hearing whatever you're going to say next." Donna said. "Because you know, that I know, about a certain phone-call."

"I'll give you one thing." The Master said grudgingly. "No beating around the bush."

"Oh, I wouldn't rule any beatings out." Donna said candidly.

The Master was about to respond. Then he remembered that the advise said women liked a man who listened. Anyway, he would get more than even. He would have his pound of flesh. Every word she said, he would make her pay for, tenfold. If not more so. He sat back, as if to listen to what she had to say.

"All this time." Donna said frankly, "That how you get your kicks Harry? Stringing people along, laughing at them behind their backs? And then, just when they start to fall for you, pow."

There was a silence. The Master realised this was his chance to respond.

"Donna," He said, "This is going to be hard to believe, but it's not what you think."

"Oh, so now I think eh?" Donna said bitterly. "I thought I was just brainless and tedious."

"Donna, give me a chance to explain." He said pleadingly. "It's true, I have been lying to you. But I have an extremely good reason. Or at least I thought I had."

It was at times like this, The Master longed to have his whole mind again. He'd have an excuse right on the tip of his tongue. And if that failed, he could have had his laser screwdriver or the TCE. Or he'd be able to improvise a weapon. For instance, that fork she was waving about. Gouge an eye out, stab her in the throat…

**********************************

The Doctor skimmed through piles of self-pitying whining. In short, The Master had Lucy attempt to reconstruct his body from DNA stored in his ring. Only things went wrong.

_**You know what they say. If you want something done right, don't get a human to do it. Firstly, the stupid bitch decided to wait until mid flight before she started the process.**_

_**And, despite leaving her a manual, an audio recording and a DVD, she couldn't handle a few simple instructions. She flew the TARDIS straight into a time storm. Strong enough to tear my TARDIS to shreds, and the cloning chamber fell through time and space. **_

_**I awoke, barely alive and only half-formed. In the middle of… a gravel quarry!**_

_**Luckily, some other items fell through. Mostly junk. But I was able to salvage a perception filter. And some TARDIS coral. Thankfully, during 'The year that never was' (what a melodramatic title), I stored a copy of the machine on Earth. **_

_**I can use it to regrow my TARDIS, or better yet, restore myself to my full form. I just need to…**_

There was several empty lines. Eventually there was a trail of dots. Then one or two frowning smileys. The Doctor knew what'd happened. The Master had tried thinking about it, and was coming up short.

The text eventually continued.

_**It is… unusual being neither one nor the other. I still hear the drums. I have two hearts. But only one is pumping. **_

_**But the worst part is… the gaps. I used to be able to recite the Roschartlan periodic table in my sleep, name every president of Gallifrey, work out quantum mechanics for a laugh. Whereas now my thoughts are blocked by… well a block.**_

The Doctor winched. He didn't think it was possible, but the writing got worse. But oddly, he could sympathise. Being trapped on a less advanced world, trying to get free, making the most of a bad situation. He barely coped with it himself when he was exiled. But he at least had friends. He knew for a fact The Master didn't even understand the concept of friendship.

An idea began to form in his head. He now knew why The Master wanted Donna, or more specifically the timelord knowledge in Donna's mind. But perhaps, if he offered to help The Master regain his own knowledge, or share some of his own, he'd leave her alone. Or failing that, he could at least help The Master regrow his TARDIS.

He'd need to find out where it was though. He had a feeling though…

He called open the search feature and typed in "Division M."

*****************************************************

"I'm waiting." Donna said.

The Master shook himself out of the half-daze he had been in. Although when the time came, he'd definitely try one or two of those ideas out.

"I know… John has been telling you a lot about me." He began. "And a lot of it's true. And I knew, he would play you that phone-call. Which is why I said those things."

"Are you mad?" Donna scoffed. "You said those things… because you knew I was going to hear them?"

The Master grabbed her hand, and looked sincerely into her eyes. He even let his eyes mist up.

"No, I said them because I needed John to hear them. It's always been like that with us. As long as I can remember, anything John had, I wanted. Anything I had, he tried to take away. Ever since we were kids. I guess we never really grew up."

"So…" Donna said, as she thought about this. "You wanted him to think you didn't want me, so he wouldn't try to take me away from you?"

"Correct." The Master said plainly.

Donna leaned back, and thought this over. Without warning, she started to giggle slightly.

The Master looked nervous. That wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"Oh Harry," Donna said, "I know you think I'm thick, but give me a bit of credit. That is the biggest load of crap I have EVER heard!"

"But… but it's true!" The Master said. "Look, it all started at the Academy…I was the smartest kid in the class, and then he had to steal my thunder. I tried to be friends with him. But no, he just *had* to be number one. He always thought I was up to something."

"Well, you *are* up to something…Master." Donna said.

The Master laughed nervously.

"Pardon?" He said. Oh lord, not a meta-crisis here and now. He didn't have… *anything* to stop it. But her body language seemed composed. No spasms.

"That *is* your name isn't it?" Donna posed in an accusing manner. "Said so on your computer. Ego, much?"

The Master realised she was still Donna. Although… getting some things off his chest might help. It would certainly help him vent the frustrations that he'd been feeling for a long, long time.

"Alright, I confess." He said sarcastically, "You got me!"

He raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I'm over a thousand years old. My real name is Koschei, but I forsook that name as I have grand plans to become Master of all time and space! Starting with this primitive planet. Today the world, tomorrow the galaxy and next week…THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!"

He grinned.

"After that, I might take a holiday."

Donna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah yeah, you're the most evil person who ever existed."

"Or will exist." Harry chirped in. "I mean, didn't John tell you? I killed so many of his friends, and you're next!"

The Master grinned. Then froze. Oh Gods (If he believed in them.) He couldn't believe he let that part slip. Now she would run straight to the authorities, or worse, The Doctor.

Donna couldn't help grin. If nothing else he had a terrific imagination and a wicked sense of humour.

"Well can we eat first before you kill me?" She quipped. "Only I'm starving."

The Master wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Does this mean…" He began.

"It means, I'll hear you out." Donna said. "But it'd better be good."

"Oh, it is. Trust me."

"Not yet." Donna said, grinning, as she saw a train of waiters heading for their table.

*********************************

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and he re-read the screen. He couldn't help feel skeptical.

"In your office?" He said aloud. "Why would you hide something secret someplace so obvious?"

He paused. A trap? Probably. Trouble was, he just never could resist a challenge. Anyway, he had the laser screwdriver. What could go wrong?

************************

The Master tried to remain in control. With this damned metabolism, he was going to get drunk. And he had a bad headache most of the time anyway. And he needed as many of his wits about him as necessary when dealing with Donna. Which was still a peculiar concept to wrap his head around.

Donna set the champagne bottle down with a thud. The bubbles were getting up her nose. Maybe she should just sip it instead of swigging.

"So, Harry…" Donna said. "What are you really up to? What are you… going to do to me?"

The Master dropped his fork. Oh God. Not that. It was bad enough when Lucy wanted to. It wasn't that he didn't like women… as a concept.

"Well, it's a bit early in our relationship don't you think?"

Donna smirked.

"Down boy." She said. "I meant your sneaky, nefarious plan for me. Besides, if you REALLY think I'm going to let you in my pants, you are in for a very, very, very long wait."

She hiccupped.

The Master grinned slightly. She was getting drunk. He giggled a little. Oh no, he was getting drunk too.

"Ah right." He said, trying not to slur. "Of course."

Thankfully, this was one part of the evening he had prepared for.

"I do have a plan for you." He said. "One with you in mind specifically. I wasn't lying when I said you were important."

Donna rested her elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her hand.

"Do tell."

The Master reached into his jacket, and pulled out a folder, which he set in front of Donna. She picked it up. She was stunned. It was her medical files.

"How the hell did you get this?" She said accusingly. "These are meant to be private."

"Medical research." The Master answered. "You've had… headaches? And your family said you were…sick, without being specific?"

The tentative look on Donna's face confirmed his suspicions.

"But…" Donna began, "my records were sent to a specialist. They said I was fine. Nothing to worry about."

The Master nodded sagely.

"Donna… I was the specialist." He said calmly. "And while it's settled down… I'm afraid you're not out of the woods yet."

Donna looked uncertain. "But… shouldn't my doctor have said? Shouldn't I have gone to the hospital for scans and things?"

The Master put on a sober face. But inwardly, he beamed. Time to exploit this.

"Donna… you *did* go to the hospitals. You did have scans. And tests. But that happened…when you were … 'sick'. Didn't you think it odd, your family were being so vague? I mean, if it'd been an accident or something, wouldn't they have told you?"

He opened the folder, and pointed to a page.

"You'd been having seizures. It was like an electrical storm in your brain, threatening to burn you up at any moment. Then… it stopped. But the truth is, it's only remission."

Donna paled, and bit her lip nervously. She didn't know if she should believe him or not.

"So… I still have this… condition?" She asked worriedly.

"Yes." The Master said. "You're OK now, but, you could relapse. And there's no way of telling what will trigger it, or when. It's possible you could live out your life with no more problems. But I wouldn't depend on it."

"You mean I could drop dead tomorrow?" Donna said.

"Couldn't we all?" The Master deadpanned.

Donna was outraged. She lifted the file, and flung it at him.

"You think this is funny do you?!"

The Master hastily gathered up the papers.

She shook her head. "I don't believe this."

"I understand your skepticism." The Master said, "But the evidence is there."

"Any dolt with enough computer skills can fake records. And hell, I'm not a doctor, for all I know this is bunk."

The Master pushed the file across to her again.

"Now why the hell would I make something like this up?" He snapped. "I may not be a nice guy Donna, but I'm not an idiot. You could disprove it in a second. Go for a second opinion. Have a scan done. Hell, go ask John. After all he is a…"

He stopped. Best not tempt fate.

"Physician." He said.

Donna still was cynical. He could be taking advantage of her memory loss. Given how two-faced he was, she wouldn't put it past him. But, this was mixed with a slight anxiety. What if, for once, he was telling the truth?

"So what do you want then?" She asked, trying to hide her nerves.

The Master had been taking deep breaths to calm himself. Once he'd settled down, he clasped his hands together, and looked Donna dead in the eye.

"You know the…wreck?" He asked.

Donna nodded.

"Well," he continued, "we've been… recovering some of the technology. Particularly the medical equipment. Light years ahead of anything here on Earth. Able to treat all sorts of conditions. Including repairing damage to the brain."

Donna eyed him wearily. "You want me to be a guinea pig?"

"That's such a negative way of putting it." The Master said. "I'd like you to be the first to benefit. Don't you want to remember everything? Don't you want to be well again?"

Donna tilted her head. "And what do you get out of this?"

The Master leaned back and folded his arms. "Honestly?"

"It'd be a change." Donna said.

"Fame, fortune, kudos, and I can write my ticket to anywhere I want to go." He said. "But it has to be a fully documented medical case."

He then drummed his fingers on the table.

"Plus, I need to beat John Smith to it." He said.

Donna paused. "So… John's?"

"Oh, he's probably poking around my lab this minute, trying to copy my ideas." The Master said. "He claims he's doing it because he's so chummy with your granddad."

He then leaned forward conspiringly.

"But truth is… I think he's doing it for two reasons."

"To hack you off…" Donna said, "And what other reason?"

"Oh come on." The Master scoffed. "You haven't noticed the way he acts around you?"

Donna's eyes narrowed. She remembered the encounter in the lift quite vividly.

"Oh… I have. So one of you wants the brain, the other wants the frame."

"More or less." The Master said.

He had to admit this was more fun then he expected. It was clear she still viewed him with suspicion. But she didn't trust The Doctor either. That alone sent her up in his estimation. Nice to finally meet someone who didn't think he was the greatest thing since… the last great thing.

_Damn my broken similes! _He thought to himself.

"Has he always been like that with women?" Donna asked.

Ooh, a chance to insult The Doctor. Far too tempting to pass up.

"You mean clueless?" He nodded. "He constantly has these women that *adore* him, but he doesn't notice. Then he fixates on someone he can't have. Either they've long gone, or they found someone else by the time he gets a clue."

"Then does he pine over them?" Donna said.

"Oh, he is the emo poster child." The Master grinned.

Donna appeared to relax a bit.

"Does he also do that thing where one minute he's really really serious and the next wittering on about something really nonsensical?"

The Master nodded enthusiastically. "Not to mention his terrible dress sense."

"God yeah. Does he have more than one suit?"

"You should have seen the scarf. Or the celery." He then took a sip. "No wait, he had this coat right, it was HIDEOUS. Orange, and blue and yellow, all clashing."

The two giggled as the conversation continued in this manner.

The waiter turned up.

"Will that be all?" He asked hopefully.

Suddenly The Master didn't want the evening to end. Donna could actually be rather funny.

"Fancy dessert?" He queried.

"Ooh yeah." Donna said. "The more calories the better."

"And another bottle of your finest plonk." The Master said. "Who cares about money? Soon, I'll have all I'll ever need."

*******************************

The Doctor paused outside the office. He knew that this was it. He was crossing into the proverbial dragon's den. Better keep his guard up.

He unlocked the door. Then cautiously he waved the sonic screwdriver across the room. Once pleased that there were no traps, he took a step forward.

__Quickly he deduced that the wall was false. A few whirrs of the laser screwdriver, and the wall slid open.

A nauseating stench hit The Doctor immediately. And, seeing whose office this was, he had a nasty feeling it was…

He looked down. Sure enough, there was a corpse on the floor. Quite a fresh one, but a corpse nonetheless.

The Doctor casually stepped over the body. He'd take that out later, when he was finished. Someone had to clean up after The Master, and it always seemed to be him.

He swept the room for all the usual traps and snares The Master put in place, and then checked for something more sophisticated. There was a wild beeping.

_Ah-ha! _The Doctor grinned. He honed in on the signal. It was right in front of him.

The Doctor hit the screwdriver. It must be glitching. That couldn't be right. After all, there was nothing in fro…

The Doctor gingerly pushed a finger forward. It impacted on metal.

"What the…" He muttered.

The Doctor put his hand up a little higher. He touched something cold.

_A cloaking device. _He concluded. Clearly, something The Master didn't want him to find. Perhaps this was how The Master had planned to take Donna's memories. But… what was it?

He ran his finger around a circle. He tapped it in, roughly, the middle. It felt like a lens. He clasped his hand. It was a lens… on a rod.

A slight uneasy feeling came to The Doctor.

_No. It couldn't be._

He reached further down. He felt… a bump. A line of bumps in fact.

The Doctor almost leapt back.

_No, this isn't happening. It's… just metal with bumps in. Could be anything._

The Doctor tried to convince himself of this. After all, there were other possibilities. Just… remote. But he'd rather hang onto that chance, then have his worst nightmare come true.

There was one way to be sure. He took out the Sonic Screwdriver, and adjusted it to disable cloaking devices.

At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, electrical impulses began to appear, displaying the outline of the last thing The Doctor had expected, or wanted, to find. A Dalek.

Slowly it began to take solid form, until it was there in front of him. Both his hearts were pounding so hard, he could hardly think. Although there was one thought that kept running through his head.

_The Crucible. The wreck was the crucible. _. Once again, his actions were coming back to haunt him. The nightmare he'd created for himself was getting worse.

Then he noticed… there was silence. No, "_**YOU ARE THE DOCTOR! YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!" **_No cries of exterminate.

The Doctor then took a good look at the Dalek. The light in its eye was dead. Taking a deep breath, he took a step closer, and pushed. The unit glided back.

The Doctor approached, and, cautiously, flung the hood back. It was empty. And… no remains. No residue. No signs that one of the Dalek mutants had ever occupied this shell.

This was a complete, brand new Dalek casing. Fresh from the production line. The Doctor found himself admiring the intricate wiring and connections inside… until he noticed that there were extra circuits and attachments.

He wondered… there were rumours during the Time War. That the Daleks had developed technology that enabled them to extract information… and memories straight from the minds of prisoners. Perhaps these wires…

The Doctor stopped. He couldn't believe it. The Master had Dalek technology. Not only would that allow him to extract memories but… he remembered The Master's notes. About stock-piling.

The Master was building his own Dalek Empire. And the Foundation had more than enough technology to make them unstoppable.

***********************************************************

The Master had really enjoyed himself. He and Donna were now sitting waiting for their respective taxis. Donna was witty, and insightful and…and…

_Oh God. I'm drunk. _

Yes, he told himself, he simply had too much to drink. He glanced at Donna. She really was attractive. She oddly reminded him of Queen Galleia. Feisty, red-headed and with a really impressive…

"Your phone's ringing." Donna said. "And stop staring!"

The Master dragged his eyes away from her… bodice.

He checked the phone. Ah-ha!

"Listen," He said apologetically. "I've gotta take this. Won't be a… thing."

"Minute?" Donna suggested.

"Yeah, that." The Master assented. See, smart.

He glanced at the screen. A message read, "Intruder in Inner Sanctum. Exhibit A exposed."

The Master grinned. He pressed a series of buttons. That should hold him.

"OK, where were we?" The Master asked.

"I said I'll need to think about it." Donna said. "And you stared at my chest."

"It… it's a compliment." The Master said. "Um, where I come from."

"What, Leeds?" Donna snapped.

"Uh… yeah?" The Master said.

Donna rolled her eyes. _Men._

"But, no it's… it's good. That you're thinking about it." The Master rambled. "So I'll give you time. Say… ten minutes?"

"Say two or three days." Donna replied. "It's a big decision. Besides which, I don't trust you."

The Master smirked. "Just cos you don't need me, doesn't mean you don't trust me." He paused. "Wait, reverse those."

"You are such a light-weight." Donna muttered.

"Looks can be deceiving." The Master said teasingly. "So you go home, talk it over with… whats-hisname. Bernard? Bill? Will… Wilf! And your mum. Lovely woman."

"If you say so." Donna joked. Although she would definitely need to talk to someone about this.

Two taxis pulled up at that time. The doorman nodded towards them.

"Well, this is us." Donna said. "See you tomorrow."

"Great." The Master said, as he cautiously tried to stand. He'd need to remember to take those sobriety pills the foundation was trial running. On retrospect, maybe he should have taken them before he paid the bill and tipped everyone twenty five percent. This place was definitely going to be one of the first places to go.

Donna waved goodbye as Harry climbed into his cab. Her mind kept going over what he'd told her. This was big news. But the other part her mind kept going back to, was someone who had been on her mind a lot lately- John Smith.

So John was also working on something that could help treat her condition. Probably be worth investigating. And as Harry said, getting a second opinion couldn't do her any harm.

*********************

The Doctor paced back and forth. His mind was working into over-time, trying to think of the hows, wheres, and most of all, the whys of The Master's plan.

One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to leave this thing here. Who knew what damage it had already done.

He adjusted a few settings on the two screwdrivers. This was going to really hurt his ears. But it was a pain he could deal with.

He placed the two devices to either side of the dalek shell, and pressed the buttons.

The vibrations were horrendous, and the noise unbelievable. Circuits starting to blow left, right and centre, as the two devices tried to tear themselves, and everything in between them, apart.

The Doctor held on for as long as he could, as the devices heated up. He concentrated as the dalek shell began to cave in on itself.

The Doctor dropped both screwdrivers and checked his palms. They were burnt, but already starting to heal.

More importantly, the dalek shell was just a lump of melted metal and burnt out circuitry.

To his amazement, a sarcastic, slow clap began to fill the air.

"Bravo!" A familiar voice said. "Excellent work."

The Doctor turned to see The Master leaning against the door jam.

"Having fun, randomly destroying innocent pieces of machinery?" He said snidely. "Speaking of fun, I had a great time with Donna-"

The Doctor glowered at The Master. "You're using Dalek technology?" He fumed.

The Master shrugged. "You're the one who keeps going on about interspecies co-operation."

"But the Daleks?!" The Doctor exclaimed. "They're…"

"Spare me the lecture Doctor." The Master countered, "They just happen to have technology I need to use for my ends, nothing more, nothing less."

The Master began to move closer, not breaking eye contact with The Doctor.

"Moreover," he began contemptuously, "Do you really think I ever cared about Gallifrey, or our people?"

He scoffed. "Why would I care about a group of uptight, unimaginative bores running around in stupid cloaks?"

He tapped his head. "The only good thing about the Timelords, was that they helped muffle this...din."

"Typical." The Doctor muttered disgustedly. "Only ever thinking about yourself."

The Master could see The Doctor was struggling to contain his temper. Time to move in for the kill.

"Oh, don't you try to claim the moral high ground." The Master sniped. "You're the one who killed them Doctor. And for what? The Daleks came back anyway. Killed millions more people. And all those deaths are on your head."

The Master was now almost face to face with The Doctor.

"All in all dear friend," The Master said mockingly, "I'd say you're the greatest murderer of all time. You make me look like an angel."

The Doctor had enough. "I'm nothing like you!" He exclaimed as he began to walk towards The Master. "You're a-"

Suddenly he felt himself bang against something. A look of confusion appeared on his face, as The Master started to cackle.

"You fell for it!" He said sneeringly, "You actually fell for it!"

"What?" The Doctor said, as he thumped the invisible wall.

"A containment field!" The Master grinned. "Anyone can go in, but only *I* can go out again. Oh, and I wouldn't bother trying to screwdriver my way out of this one, it's locked onto my DNA. You…muppet!"

The Doctor made an exasperated grunt. Such an obvious trap. So obvious, he didn't think to check for it. But then something crossed his mind.

"Doesn't matter." The Doctor responded. "I'm sure I can find some way out of this, big brain like mine."

He then bent down and picked something off the ground. "Oh, you mentioned screwdrivers? Here's your laser one. Or, more precise, what's left of it."

The Master frowned.

"Yeah," The Doctor taunted, "Bit of a setback, innit? I mean, you're only human, or part human, so making another one's gonna take some time."

The Doctor then strode over to the dalek remains.

"Which brings me to my next point." He said, a slight hint of arrogance trickling into his voice. "You can't copy the Daleks memory snatching technology, because I destroyed this dalek. So, Donna's safe. I've won. Game, set and match to me."

There was a brief pause. The Doctor waited for the inevitable fireworks, but he was surprised to see The Master remained calm. Too calm.

"Oh Doctor," The Master said, shaking his head, "poor naïve little Doctor. Do you really think I'd hide a dalek, right where you can find it, if it was the only one?"

The colour drained from The Doctor's face. "What?"

The Master took out a remote. Savouring the dread in his enemy's eyes, he waited a moment before pressing a button. There was the bright flash of a transmat beam, as another Dalek materialised, right in front of The Doctor.

"I call this one Fred." The Maser chirped. "Fred… exterminate him."

Before The Doctor could say anything, a sheering pain washed through him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Nice work Fred." The Master called. There was no response.

"What, cat got your tongue? Oh wait, you dont have a tongue!" The Master chuckled.

He thought it was a testament to his infinite talents that, even in this state, he had rewired the surviving Dalek machines to obey him. All the deadliness of a Dalek, but with none of the deviousness that the creatures had. They would simply do as they were told.

Although the part he was particularly proud of, was the stun setting he gave their guns. Caused the maximum amount of pain possible, but left the victim alive.

And speaking of pain, there would be plenty in store for The Doctor. But first, he had to try something. There was only a slim possibility of it working, but there was a chance.

The Master crossed into the chamber, and approached his enemys unconscious body. He knew that he didnt have long. The Doctor would have already begun the healing coma that Time Lords knew. But while his body focussed on healing itself, his mental barriers should be down.

The Master clasped his hands to The Doctors temple, and concentrated. He tried to channel all his energy into making psychic contact, but nothing was happening.

_Typical._ The Master fumed. It seemed that his only option would be to go after Donna. Which was a shame, he was starting to like her. And worse, how was he going to do it when his laser screwdriver was_Wait, thats it!_

The Master dropped The Doctor, and his eyes darted around the room. Out of the corner of his eye, The Master saw the Sonic Screwdriver.

_Yes! _He thought gleefully as he picked it up and pocketed it. The Master knew for a fact The Doctor never used its isomorphic controls. Hed let any of his companions use it willy-nilly. Far too trusting, that was his trouble.

Another thought crossed The Masters mind. The TARDIS was on site. Granted, he may not be able to fly it. But it did have data banks. Those would surely have all the knowledge hed ever need. And if it refused to co-operate, he always had his trusty team of scientists, whod be more than willing to rip the infernal machine to pieces to figure out how it worked.

It was worth a try. Save him a lot of trouble and better yet, it would mean hed not have to kill Donna after all.

The Master paused. That was a dangerous way of thinking. He had to watch that

**********************************************************************.

But The Master underestimated the link between The Doctor and the TARDIS. It knew impulsively that The Doctor was in trouble. And it had vivid memories of suffering it had gone through when it was mutilated into the Paradox Machine.

It knew it had to escape, and fast, as The Master was on his way. So it simply keyed in for its last set of co-ordinates, and dematerialised.

*********************************************************************

Donna was in the uncomfortable position of being neither fully awake, nor completely asleep. It was partly, no, completely due to the stress shed been going through as of late.

What didnt help was that wheezing noise coming from outside. She got up, and opened the window, planning on telling whoever it was to knock it off. But then she glanced out the window. Weird. Nothing there, except a funny looking blue box.

Before Donna could think anymore about it, a sharp pain entered her head. Pictures and images flashed before her at rapid speed. She could feel her mental barriers trying to fight back, but she knew it wouldnt be long before it got too much. And Donna knew three things, very important things.

(1) The Doctor was in trouble

(2) Shed have to save him and

(3) She was gonna bloody kill him when she did.

********************************************************************

Observing the monitors, The Master noticed that the TARDIS had gone. This aggravated him. It was almost as if some force in the universe **wanted** him to hurt Donna. Then a thought occurred to him. If he was clever, and to be honest, he was, there wasnt anything to stop him from finding a way of stealing her memories, and keeping her alive. It would be a great way to embarrass The Doctor- succeeding where he had failed.

With that extra incentive, The Master took out the Sonic Screwdriver, and got to work.

*********************************************************************

Donna dizzily dashed out of her house and towards the TARDIS. Automatically, its doors flung open. The moment she stepped foot inside, it began to take off.

_Yeah, but now what? _She thought. _Im not gonna do much good if I burn up before I get there._ Then she noticed a bright glow, coming from one of the TARDIS many corridors.

Donna didnt have much time to think about this. Clearly there was something that way the TARDIS wanted her to find. Better not to question it.

As she worked her way down the corridor, the light then came on above one of the doors. Donna flung it open.

It was a white, featureless room. Donna gingerly took a step forward. Instantly, she could feel her head throbbing a lot less. A feeling of serenity washed over her, as the voices and pictures stopped. She soon realized where she was.

_The zero room. Cut off from the rest of the universe. _

She simply hoped that it would help keep the timelord mind in check long enough.

********************************************************************

The Doctor could feel himself slowly coming around. His body was still in agony, but he couldnt focus on that. He had to try and escape.

Cautiously, he opened one eye. The Master was hunched over a table, too engrossed on his work to notice. But then something caught his eye. That Dalek. It had its gun trained on him. He wasnt sure if hed be able to withstand another blast. So trying to sneak past wasnt an option. Maybe a distraction insteadafter all, The Master, particularly this incarnation, couldnt resist bragging.

The Doctor made a loud and deliberate groan.

The Master just glanced back at him, casually.

"Oh, youre awake." He muttered. He then waved at the Dalek. "Keep an eye on him Fred."

The Doctor blinked. Not the expected reaction. Perhaps he should try something else.

"So, this is your big plan, create an army of daleks, then take over?"

"Not really." The Master responded, absent mindedly.

"Then what's with the daleks?" The Doctor said. "Just a hobby?"

The Master sighed. "Like Ill tell you."

"Its like that eh?" The Doctor said. "I'll just guess then. Youre going to have them do an all Dalek version of Swan Lake. Dunno if Tchaikovsky would have approved, then again, ol Pytor was always prone to depression. I remember this one time..."

"Oh, shut up." The Master simply replied, still not taking his eyes off his work.

"Mind you, suppose it doesn't matter." The Doctor said. "Not like your plans gonna work."

At that, The Master stopped, and spun around to face The Doctor.

"Oh, and how are *you* gonna stop me?" He said mockingly. "Not like you've got your Sonic Screwdriver to get you out of this one. Or are you gonna turn into Tinkerbell again?"

"Oh, I'm not the one you should be worrying about." The Doctor said coolly.

"Oh, then who is?" The Master quizzed.

"Think about it." The Doctor said plainly.

The Masters thoughts raced. The perception filter stopped Torchwood or UNIT from seeing who he really was. And hed taken care of every member of the Foundation that posed a threat. That only left one possible option.

"Donna." The Master muttered.

"Oh yes." The Doctor said. "The way I see it, anything happens to me, Donna would know. And trust me when I say, you dont want to get on her bad side. Matter of fact, she might be wondering where I am right now."

The Master paused. He wanted to point out she wouldnt have any proof he was up to something, or who would listen to her anyway. But part of him was absolutely terrified. Shed already proven to be sharper, smarter and more resourceful than hed imagined. There was no telling what she could do. As painful as it was to admit it, The Doctor was right. Hed have to let him go.

Before either of them could say anything more, a familiar noise filled the air. The Timelords turned simultaneously as they saw the TARDIS begin to take physical form again.

"What did you do?!" The Master yelled, as he grabbed The Doctor, and pulled him to his feet.

"I didn't do anything!" The Doctor protested. "But I'm about to do something I'm gonna really, really regret."

The Doctor desperately gripped his enemy's face. Before The Master could do anything, The Doctors lips were on his.

Several feelings passed through The Master at once. Confusion, outrage, and a strange sense of enjoyment. But he then realized what The Doctor was doing. A genetic transfer, so he could escape the containment field.

The Master struggled to break free, but it was too late. The Doctor shoved him away, and dashed towards the TARDIS.

"SHOOT HIM!" The Master yelled at the Dalek. But before it could aim its gun, The Doctor had the TARDIS door open, and was inside.

The Doctor leaned against the door, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Safe." He muttered to himself.

"Oh yeah?!" A voice cried.

Before The Doctor could react, he felt an almighty, stinging impact against his cheek.

"What part of no didn't you understand, you stupid space-man?!" Donna shrieked. "N-O. Opposite of yes, as in, No, don't wipe my bleedin' mind!"

The Doctor rubbed his cheek.

"Ok, I deserved that." He muttered. "But..."

Before he could continue, Donna slapped him again.

"OW!" The Doctor said. "What was that for?!"

"For setting off this bleedin' meta-crisis! Thank you so much!"

"Don't look at me!" The Doctor said defensively, "The TARDIS just took off! I was busy being target practice!"

"Oh, you are useless without me." Donna said, and then with a laugh, she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. She then pulled back.

"'Ere, were you eatin' garlic?" She inquired.

The Doctor blushed. But before he could stammer an answer, The TARDIS shook slightly.

***********************************************************

The Master continued to whirr Freds gun with the sonic screwdriver. He would rip the TARDIS to pieces if he had to. The Dalek fired again, still nothing.

"Shit!" He said through gritted death. "Oh well, time to try something else."

He pointed the screwdriver at the TARDIS itself.

"Turnabout is fair play, Doctor."

*************************************************************

Sparks began to fly out of the central console.

"Oh no you don't!" The Doctor yelled, as he raced to the controls. He fumbled in his pockets for the Sonic-Screwdriver. Suddenly, he felt something thump into his hand. It was another sonic-screwdriver. He looked up at Donna, who was grinning.

"Found it in the kitchen." She explained.

The Doctor wasted no time, as he used its frequency to cancel out The Master's efforts.

Meanwhile Donna had busied herself flipping various switches, and finally releasing the lever.

******************************************************************************

The Master was helpless to watch as the TARDIS disappeared from view. No matter. What could The Doctor do anyway? He still had no idea what he was planning. And by the time he figured it out, it would be too late. Everything was ready. He just needed to give the word.


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: **Journey's end in lovers meeting

**Part 12 of 12.**

**Author: **adroidmortox247 aka bannonluke

**Characters: **The Doctor, Donna, The Master

**Genre: **General

**Summary: **Donna's memory is restored. The Master's plan is revealed.

**Spoilers: **post Journey's End

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters are mine, the are the beeb's.

**Rating: **PG due to swearing and some mild violence.

**Author's note:** Guess it's been a while- sorry about the delay. Many thanks to everyone who helped out over the years.

The Doctor quickly placed the biodamper on Donna's finger and soniced it.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked. "This is no time for blinging things."

"It'll stop the meta-crisis for the moment," The Doctor explained. "Best I could come up with."

"Lord help us." Donna teased.

"Now then," The Doctor exclaimed as he leapt to the central console. "The Master teleported that Dalek into his office. But that was a mistake, gives me a chance to track the transmat beam and find out where it, and presumably any others he has are."

"So we're gonna just swan into a Dalek base, no weapons, no plan, or anything?" Donna asked. Then she smirked. "Good to see you haven't changed."

"Just like old times." The Doctor said cheerfully, as he pulled a lever.

The Master reacted quickly. He knew The Doctor would want to track down his base, and he was damned if he'd come this far only to let things slip from his grasp now.

He placed a hand onto the Dalek. "Fred, teleport, now!" he commanded.

After a flash, he'd reappeared on the bridge of what used to be the Crucible. He rushed over to a control panel and pressed a button, which brought up a map of the ship. No sign of The TARDIS just yet. Good. There was time yet.

Donna took a look around as she emerged from the TARDIS.

"Hang on," she commented. "Isn't this-'

"The Crucible." The Doctor answered. "The Master-"

"Harry?" Donna asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor confirmed. He scanned the corridors trying to figure out which one to walk down. Then he decided, as usual, just to wing it, and walked down a random one. Donna followed him.

"The Master's been salvaging it after we-"

"I." Donna interjected.

"You," The Doctor agreed "blew it up. And for some reason it's connected to your, my, memories and some way for him to become a full timelord again..."

Before he could continue, the doors behind them shut dramatically. The two turned around, realising they were now trapped. The Doctor then glanced ahead and saw the next set of doors were starting to come together. It seemed that they were on the right track, The Master was attempting to keep them from something.

"RUN!" The Doctor yelled as he started to gallop.

Donna giggled as she raced to catch up. "I never thought I'd miss this."

The Doctor dove through a hole in the doors, then quickly used the sonic-screwdriver to give Donna time to catch up. Once she was through the doors crashed together.

Donna groaned in pain. It had been a while. "Please tell me that's all the running we have to do."

Before the Doctor could say anything, another set of doors began to close ahead of them.

"Just once," Donna began. "I'd like there to be just a short run. Maybe even just a jog, would it hurt if just once a brisk walk was enough."

The Master poked at the screen. It must have been on the blink, it showed two dots. I mean, The Doctor had to be alone...or did he?

_Donna_. The Master thought. But if she was with The Doctor...

"You found a cure," The Master exclaimed. "Maybe nothing permanent, but still..."

The Master hesitated. He knew he ought to stop them getting to the chamber, but now he wanted Donna to meet him as he was. Surely there must be some resentment about what The Doctor did bubbling away inside her. He could turn her to his will, and have someone by his side as he triumphed once and for all.

Besides, he couldn't wait to show The Doctor just what his latest plan was. What was the point of being utterly brilliant, suave and dynamic if there were no equals...well almost equals..to appreciate it. _Today, my name will be more than just a title. I will truly become the master of everything._

Donna and The Doctor became cautious. They hadn't seen any Daleks since they'd arrived, and now the doors weren't closing. It was clear The Master now wanted them to find something down this corridor. The Doctor had adjusted the sonic-screwdriver to locate any containment fields- he wasn't going to let himself fall for the same trick twice (again).

"Thank you," Donna said all of a sudden.

The Doctor looked confused. "For what?"

"Coming back," Donna said. "I mean, I'd have thought you'd just move on."

"I couldn't leave you." The Doctor replied. "Not when I realized you were in danger, or that I could have helped you. I didn't have time before to..."

"Hey," Donna interrupted. "I forgive you...just don't make a habit of it!"

The duo entered a large chamber. On a raised platform there was a throne-like chair, with a helmet attached to it.

"Huh, is that it?" Donna scoffed as she turned to The Doctor. The smile disappeared from her face as she saw he was looking upwards. She followed his gaze upwards.

Hanging above them, and in fact dominating most of the room was a gigantic sphere, seemingly made from the same material as the Daleks.

"What is it?" Donna asked, uneasily. "Some kind of Death-Star?"

"It's a sort of Dyson sphere." The Doctor explained.

"And what's that?" Donna asked further. The only Dyson she knew of was the hoover.

"It's meant to be a way to collect all the power from a star." The Doctor said. "But the Master's...mutilated dalek casings into this."

Donna looked again. Surely enough, on closer inspection she could see where one dalek finished and another began.

"How, how many Daleks are there in that thing?"

"Dunno," the Doctor said. "Thousands. Maybe millions."

"And I'm guessing the throne is used to control it," the Doctor said. "But I still don't know what for, how it will change him back."

"Then I shall enlighten you, Doctor," a voice bellowed.

The Master emerged from a door on the other side of the room.

"It's good, isn't it?" he said smugly. "Now, interesting you mentioned change. Because that's what this is all about. Changing the very fabric of creation. Impossible? Hardly. Using this sphere, and some tech that survived the Crucible's destruction, I can harness the power of an entire dalek armada simultaneously."

A look of horror crossed the Doctor's face.

"Oh, you've figured it out," the Master said coldly.

"Well I haven't," Donna interrupted. "Doctor, what is it?"

"Dalek casings can use an emergency temporal shift," the Doctor said. "It's a crude form of time and space travel, which...warps reality."

"You, you mean," Donna said as she turned to the Master. "You plan to use this, to warp all of reality? That's impossible!"

The Master grinned. "Oh please, it's me you're talking to. The Z-neutrino energy Davros used to power the Crucible could neutralize the electric charge of every atom the universe, I'll use this to control them. Can you imagine it? The universe, hell, EVERY, universe will literally bend to my will. I will become a god."

"So what's this got to do with The Doctor's memories in my head?" Donna asked.

"Oh Doctor," the Master scoffed. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."

"Forgotten what?" the Doctor said.

"I remember a conversation you had with your friend Jack, back when I was Professor Yana. About your little English Rose, and how she'd looked into the time vortex."

_If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful god._

"And you did it. Maybe just for a moment, you had the power of a god, and you could control it. And that wasn't the only time. Your little tinker-bell routine, you had an entire planet believing in you, you channelled all that psychic power, you could control it, and you survived. And that knowledge, as well as how you've survived countless things that would have killed any other timelord, are in your head."

Suddenly he turned to face Donna. "And in your head too, my love."

"Wow..." Donna said as she turned to the Doctor. "And I thought you were barmy. Oi, and stop calling me love! I am not your love."

The Master looked furious at that remark. "I'd be careful if I were you. I was going to just kill you, but now, I seem to have become, sort of attached. It's been a while since I've had a side-kick and the last one...well it didn't end well."

"Gotta say," Donna said. "Your chat up routine could use work. Now, is this a Time Lord thing, or are you both just naff with women?"

"I am offering you a chance to be at god's right hand," the Master said, his voice becoming more steely. "I mean, you're smart, attractive...for a human, you just need to curb that tongue. Hmm, maybe a mute button."

Donna looked outraged, and rushed up to the Master, ready to claw his eyes out.

"That does it!" she exclaimed.

"Donna, no!" the Doctor warned as she rushed past him. The moment she was in range, the Master grabbed her, and dumped onto the chair. Instantaneously, clamps appeared securing her in place.

"Oh, too easy," the Master sneered. "Who'd have thought a bit of pop psychology I downloaded from the internet would pay off?"

"GET...ME...OUT OF HERE!" Donna snarled to the Doctor.

"No chance," the Master said. "I haven't actually tested this on an inferior species yet, no guarantee your head's not gonna blow. Be fun finding out though, don't you think Doctor? Go on, one step forward, and we'll find out. Isn't Russian Roulette Science just the most fun you can have?"

"Just when you couldn't stoop any lower," the Doctor said disgustedly. "If you just let me help you..."

"What, help hand me over to your Torchwood or UNIT buddies?" the Master sneered. "They only work with you because they're afraid of you as an enemy. Imagine the fun they'd have if I was in their hands. How long do you think I'd be in one piece? And no, travelling as your prisoner, locked in the TARDIS is not an alternative. A life-time of your company, hell I'd rather burn again."

The Doctor was surreptitiously pressing the sonic screwdriver in his pocket, trying to adjust it to loosen the straps surrounding Donna.

"Oh by the way," the Master said, "I've dead-locked the room. Sonics don't work in here. By the way, thanks for the screwdriver."

The Master reached into his pocket. "It took some work, changing it from sonic to laser, but when you're a genius, anything's possible. And you thought you were so brilliant, showing me up when I was that old fool Yana. Now, look at me."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "I am. I see someone who, when they were human did their best to help humanity, against all the odds, in the face of the end of the universe. Now I see a selfish child throwing a cosmic temper tantrum because things didn't go his way. I'm really impressed."

Before the Master could speak, a whirring sound started to fill the air. He and the Doctor spun around.

"Oh good, got your attention?" Donna said. "Don't mind me."

"What are you doing?" The Master demanded.

"Like you said," Donna chirped. "What's in the Doctor's head is in mine. And, if he was strapped in here, do you really think he'd just sit here and do nothing? He's survived loads of things no-one else should have. I'd say that gives me a fair chance."

The Sphere began to glow ominously.

"And besides..." Donna said. "You have really, really, pissed me off."

Energy bolts, like lightning began to shoot out of the sphere. Donna began to convulse. The Master and the Doctor both moved to try and get her, but they were knocked back by a shock-wave. The straps around her began to loosen, and Donna slowly rose. She was beginning to glow, and her pupils had turned pure white.

The Doctor quickly scrambled to his feet. "Donna!" he called worriedly, "Donna, you've got to stop!"

"I know Doctor," she said, her voice echoing around the room. "But first, there are some things I need to deal with. Starting with him."

She pointed to the Master, who attempted to scramble away from her. Donna raised her hand, and a bolt of energy struck him. The Master screamed in pain.

"No, don't kill him!" the Doctor begged.

"That would be much too easy," Donna said.

The Master clutched his chest in agony. "My heart." Then he paused. "My... hearts." Then he grinned. "My other heart... it's beating again."

The energy bolt finished. The Master looked at his hands. The faint orange glimmer of regeneration energy shimmered.

"You-you made me fully time lord again?" The Master asked.

"On one condition," Donna said ominously. "You leave this galaxy and **never** come back."

"Bu-but how?" The Master asked. "I have no TARDIS.."

"Didn't your notes mention some TARDIS coral?" the Doctor asked.

The Master quickly rummaged through his pockets. Sure enough, there was a small piece of coral.

"Set it on the ground, now," Donna commanded.

The Master quickly obeyed. Donna fired another beam at it. The two time lords looked on in astonishment, as the coral began to grow rapidly, twisting and turning until it began to take a solid, rectangular shape.

The Master approached the TARDIS, and stroked the exterior.

"Oh, what fun I'll have," the Master said. "I'd had enough of this planet any..."

"Leave...now," Donna threatened. "Before I change my mind."

The Master kept quiet. He slunk into the newly created TARDIS, and vanished.

"He won't stay away," Donna said knowingly. "But Earth should be safe for a while."

"Donna," the Doctor pleaded. "You need to end this."

"And I will, Doctor," she said. "There's just one last thing I have to fix. The biodamper was a good temporary solution. But I can purge myself of the meta-crisis."

"It could kill you!" the Doctor said.

"I know." Donna smiled. "But I don't mind. At least it will be my choice this time. It was nice to see you again... Spaceman."

Donna tilted her head back, as energy began to fire out of her body. It looked almost like a regeneration. Once the light faded, Donna started to collapse. The Doctor rushed and caught her.

"Donna?" He asked urgently. "DONNA!"

He tried feeling her neck. There was a pulse, but only faint.

"Please Donna, don't die," the Doctor said. "I know you've never listened to me before, but please. You have to pull through. Remember, you and me, together forever? I knew you want it because...I wanted it to."

Tears began to form in his eyes. "I...I love you Donna. I never said it when I had a chance, but I love you Donna Noble. You're clever, you're brilliant and you're never afraid to pull me back when I go too far. I...need you. Please."

The Doctor hung his head and closed his eyes.

"You...great big softie," a voice below him muttered.

Before the Doctor could say anything, arms pulled him downwards, and Donna's lips touched his passionately. The Doctor was gobsmacked, but he quickly returned the kiss.

Donna then broke it off, to get some air.

"Now then, 'John Smith'," she said jokingly, "If I remember, you owe me a date."

**The End**


End file.
